Man's Best Friend

I have written previously about the most difficult thing for us serving in Africa - being away from our dear daughters. I am confident that this will always be the case and now that we’ve added a Grandson, that adds an entirely new dimension to all of this. Coming home and seeing all that has transpired in our absence also makes us realize how much we are missing - maybe I need to think about this a little more to try and relay the gammit of emotions we have felt since we have been back on homeland assignment.

There is another thing we left behind when we went to Africa, the family dog. I had gotten this dog primarily for Ann when our youngest went to first grade – so she has been around a while! There is nothing like a dog – they teach you what loyalty, devotion, and unconditional love can look like. After we left for Africa, daughters 1 of 4 and 3 of 4 shared taking care of her and she ended up being a city dog in down town Philadelphia, a far change from the comfortable suburbs. They did a wonderful job with her in our absence.

Earlier this year, two of our daughters wrote to us saying that ‘it was time’ to put her down. She was very old and we think she has had a stroke in the past months. She was blind, mostly deaf, arthritic, incontinent, and very frail. She paced all the time, just couldn’t get comfortable and was just plain miserable. Our oldest daughter was waiting for us to come home on furlough before doing anything and the last few days we have been able to spend a few days with the dog, making it obvious that ‘it was time’.

So this morning, we took all seven pounds of her to a vet recommended by the people we are currently staying with and the vet put her to sleep in my arms. The vet took one look at her and no more needed to be said – she knew it was time. First they put her to sleep and gave us 10 minutes with her. It was wonderful to see her relax for the first time since we’ve been around her as she was suffering so. Then a second shot finished the job. I managed to be strong until I got in the car and then I just sobbed uncontrollably.

Some friends of Krista are letting us stay with them as we visit churches on this side of the state. This dear couple has been such a blessing to us and allowed us to bury our little dog in their garden. We thank God for their kindness. Their daughter has just gone to Uganda for a three-year assignment and is struggling in her first few weeks there, and we can really relate to what she is going through and hope we are being an encouragement to both her and her parents.

Tough morning. I know intellectually that she was just a dog, but that doesn’t change how your heart feels. And yet, one person a part from God has infinitely more value - why is it we have less compassion for them than for animals? I thank God we can rely on His pure and perfect love for us, for even when we were sinners, His one and only Son, died for us, the perfect sacrifice for the sins of man.

We’ll miss you Sophie-girl. Thank you Lord for all the pleasure this creature of Your creation brought to our family.

(photos are of Sophie in her younger days!)

Dave & Ann


“And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” Matt 19:29-30