This morning on Facebook the picture of my sweet Eme appeared as a “Memory” from 2 years ago today. Eme was my quiet (except when she was laying at my feet snoring, oftentimes with her eyes open) little Pekinese. She and her sister, Zoe, had been my companions for 13 years at that time.
On May 27, 2015, after a serious illness, sweet Eme left us. It was a painful decision to make as I stood over her on the table at the Vet’s office, her soulful eyes looking up at me, pleading with me to do something to make the pain go away. It’s never a good time for something like this to happen to a beloved pet or for the “human” that loves them. But for me, it was the worst time.
The Veterinarian was asking me to make the decision to have Eme peacefully put to sleep one week before I would be standing before a glass and watching the same thing done to my husband in a Texas Death Chamber 200 miles away. The irony had not been lost on me, nor was it on the Vet who seemed to be much more uncomfortable about this whole situation than I was.
My brother had rushed to my side when he heard, begging me to let him take care of this. But I remained, as this was my baby and she needed to be able to look in my eyes and know I was with her.
I felt the presence of God in that room and Deuteronomy 31:6 came to mind. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
And He didn’t. He was there then, His arms wrapped around me, holding me in place so that I could be who I needed to be, suffer the loss that was before me, joining me in my grief and pain.
And He remained with me throughout the rest of that week and into the next as He and I walked into another small room with a table in the middle. It was the hardest thing I had ever done. But I knew I, we, were not alone.
God will show up if you ask Him to. I don’t care if its a small room or a big world. Don’t try to take it on by yourself.
