"Gracie, you did good.
You have been a good friend."
I was driving her to the kennel to stay while we were on vacation. She was old and had some health issues. I had a suspicion her time on earth was short
and I wanted her to know she had accomplished
her life work. She had been my dog, a
good dog and friend.
Sadly, my premonition was correct. Several days later, the caretaker called and
Gracie was in trouble. It was time. Her time on earth was over. I couldn't be with Gracie but I had said my
last words to her.
I'm not good at endings.
When I read a good book, I'll be consumed by it. I'll spend all my time reading it but yet
when I'm a handful of pages from The End, I'll stall. I don't want it to end. I want the experience to go on.
I've finished reading Deuteronomy for several days. Yet I have delayed my final blog entry. I have always enjoyed Deuteronomy. Many shake their heads in puzzlement when I
list it as a favorite book of the Bible.
Perhaps comparing Moses' homegoing to my farewell to my dog
is a stretch but I started my learnings in Deuteronomy with comparisons of
training my puppies and my walk of obedience with God. The puppies are not really trained enough to
get the "Mission Accomplished" speech. Yet I have hope for them. I have given the farewell speech to Sunny,
Sam, Jessie and Gracie. It's a good life
to be a Sipe dog because we spoil them.
Soon Mickey and Molly will see
the benefit of their obedience to us.
Occasionally I see that look in Molly's eye, looking to me for
direction. It's rare but there!
God led Moses into the next chapter of his eternal life. Chapter
34 of Deuteronomy begins as Moses climbs Mt. Nebo just as God told him. When Moses arrives, God shows Moses the land, the Promised Land. Moses dies and God Himself buries him. Moses was 120 years young, his eyes were not
weak and his strength was not gone. No prophet since has known God as Moses
did, face to face and done such miraculous signs and wonders and led the people
of Israel.
I'll admit that I do want to hear God give me the
"Mission Accomplished", but not right away! I'm not planning a homegoing anytime
soon. I'll stall in this life as long as
I can. I think my eyes are getting
weaker and maybe the strength too but I'm enjoying this life that God is
directing for me. I want to learn more
and serve Him more. Reflecting on Chapter 34 has given me encouragement to
finish well.
The good news is that I'm not done with this earthly life,
nor am I done with my walk with God. There is another day before me. New adventures and challenges await! God has been with me, is with me and will be
with me.
The puppies are still learning to walk on the leash. They still want to lead the way and rush to a
destination, any destination. I
intentionally lead them in the opposite direction and I tell them to "walk
with me."
Just as Molly and Mickey are learning to follow me since I
have the other end of the leash in my hand, I am learning to follow God when I study
His Word. My study teaches me to glance
up at God, just like Molly, to see which direction He is leading, even when I
don't quite know where we're headed.
There are 65 other book of the Bible to guide me. So I do not have an end, I have yet Another
Beginning!
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