So Long, Buddy.

Yesterday goes in the history books as one of the saddest days of my life. We lost our dog Tick . Yet another good dog lost to a fluke accident and a vehicle.
He was honestly the best dog I have ever owned in my life, and dad says the best of all his dogs as well (and he's had at least 20).
So forgive me for the melancholy mood of this post, but I'm sad, and since I know lots of my friends know and liked Tick, I wanted to share the news and a little memorabilia.

First day home, Valentines Day five years ago.

He was a fat little guy. This was back when we called him prairie dog, or Kaviezel. Just cause he was a little weasel. Pupstar was another nickname. It eventually made it to Tick, Ticker, Ticker Tape, and Ticker Tait. He came running if you whistled Iron Will's Tune.

 

Tough guy. He took on a German shepherd at this size.

All tuckered out. Man he snored.

Rub my tummy. With one of his favorite cat friends. He was so friendly with all the cats and the chickens and any other critter we showed up with.

Playing with Uriah in the yard.

 

Minion 1's agility course for him. He could go through the whole thing in 30 seconds.

There's something in here- and I'm gonna get it.

He dug into the tent to sleep with us. All the time.

And turned up with...something with a tail. It wasn't a rat or a mouse.

Climbed the tree

He literally loved to dance.

He got into every basketball game. Ever. He was the real definition of 'ankle biter'  



Was very photogenic. Waaay too cute for his own good.

Always wanted to ride the 4-wheeler. Always.

What's up dawg?

SOMEONE'S COMING!

Never, ever stopped chasing his tail...or digging holes 

 

Needless to say the entire family is absolutely crushed about all this. But we're trying to remember all the great memories we had with him. God blessed us with five full years with him and they were truly fantastic. Tick was literally like a part of the family. He was very smart and he knew exactly what we were doing and he was always doing it with us. I've had lots of dogs in my life, and it's a rare thing that one comes along who is that connected to everyone in the family.

My dad says there is something to be learned from all of this. That even as we're sad we have to be mindful that we don't turn bitter. God is not the author of death. God is the author of life. Satan is the author of death. Way back in the garden of Eden he knew that if he could bring death into the world, people would hurt and grieve and some would shake their fist at heaven and ask why. But heaven is not to blame. Satan and our own sin is. God loves us. He doesn't bless us beyond belief and then one day decide that he's going to take away a loved one or pet. Because he loves us, he sent his son to die for us. And Jesus conquered the grave. It couldn't hold him. And if we trust in what he did for us, it won't be able to hold us either.

I don't know what any of you think of this- if you disagree, you're entitled to your opinion, and I'm no preacher, so I could be wrong- but I believe that animals will be in heaven. The argument against it is always that animals have no soul, and I agree with that. But the Bible says that all of creation cries out to God and is waiting for the day the curse is lifted. Animals are part of creation. That means they know there is a God, and they are waiting for the day when he makes everything perfect. The Bible also says he sees every sparrow fall. What's the point of taking note of a falling sparrow if its just dead and doesn't go anywhere? Another verse says that we should tell everything that has breath the wonderful things God has done for us. It didn't say a soul. It said breath. Why tell animals what God has done if they don't have any clue that there is a God?

The Bible also says that Jesus comes back on a white horse. There's several other horses mentioned in heaven. So we know horses are there. To me, it just makes sense that since everything in heaven is perfect, and God at creation said that what he had made was very good, it stands to reason that he would want all of his creation to be there in heaven with him.

God says we will see our loved ones in heaven, and I believe I will see my little buddy Ticker again too.  

 

Tick