Tribute to God’s Gift to Mankind

Angel, my beloved dog of fourteen and a half years suddenly died in early June. (The vet thought it was a heart attack or stroke.) Our daughter originally got her, and the dog was a lifesaver for her rough times growing up (as my childhood dog was for me). When our daughter went off to college, she let Kim and me keep Angel, who became a surrogate child for us.
 
I’m a pathetic, incorrigible dog lover. Kim came from a country where they ate dogs, but she came to love the dog far more than she ever let on or even realized herself. I wept for a week and was surprised at how much Kim wept with me. If you’re not like this and you roll your eyes at me, that’s okay. But why would anyone grieve so much over a four-legged animal?
 
Yes, she was a mercenary for treats and belly rubs, and if a tissue box was on the floor, she delighted in tearing out tissues. But we owed her a debt far greater than all the money and care we put into her—what she did for our daughter, how she was there for me when Kim frequently was away during our peak years of ministry, and how she was there for Kim when I was away. After Angel died Kim is still saying the whole house feels empty by the absence of this little dog.
 
Angel showed us how to love. Like many dogs, and some cats, she was always there for us, without judgment, without complaint. Always sweet. Always patient. Always forgiving. Always full of joy. Always beside us wherever we were in the house. Always wanted to go with us whenever we went out, and we took her whenever we possibly could. And when she wanted something, she expressed it in the sweetest ways. That’s better than many eulogies I’ve heard at funerals.
 
Like many dogs, if ours had been human, we would say she manifest all the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). And we would say she had a most godly character (Ephesians 4:1–2). At first glance that may seem absurd to say of a dog, but if you think about it, it’s undeniable.
 
Most of all, by Angel’s long and profound influence on our lives, Kim and I have realized that we need to be more aware and committed to thinking of each other and being with each other and treating each other in the beautiful ways that Angel did with us. Yes, dogs will teach us to be better, even more godly, people.
 
And that is why this dog’s life was worth a tribute.
 
If you have any kind of beloved pet, or are close to someone who does, may that creature be a form of God’s gift to you.