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God Trials Kids and Dogs
By Julie | August 15, 2008
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds…—James 1:2
A week ago tonight my son was running through the house, even though we’ve told him repeatedly not to run in the house. I was in the kitchen, and suddenly heard running footsteps, then a big BAM, loud screaming and crying. I turned around to see him stand up and then saw blood all over his face. Thirty seconds before, we’d been sitting down eating supper with friends. In a daze I tried to help and figure out what happened. Marc tried to clean the blood up, more gushed out of his forehead. I’m not good with blood. Marc and our friends decided my son needed stitches. Our friends stayed at our house to watch our 2 year old. We took our 5 year old to the emergency room for the first and hopefully last time.
At the hospital I found out what happened. He tripped when he was running, and fell, hitting his head in molding on our door jam. The doctor decided it needed closed up; he used glue, not stitches. My son was really brave, and had stopped crying long before we got to the hospital. I stood over him to hold his hand as the doctor started the glue. For the first time I looked straight in his wound, without blood coming out of it. It was really deep! The doctor said there was one small layer of skin attached just before his skull. Scary.
We took him home right after. All week we’ve been checking on him, making sure his head didn’t hurt. We’ve reminded him to be more careful. We’ve babied him a bit more than normal, especially the first few days. The first few nights I prayed over him after he fell asleep, telling God how thankful I am for my kids, and how thankful I am he was not hurt worse, thanking Him for my son’s health. I hadn’t realized how healthy he’d been.
Tuesday night I had a meeting. I got home, Marc met me at the door, and said, “Be careful of Hades”, our 8 year old Cocker Spaniel. When I looked, he was holding his back paw in the air, refusing to walk on it. Marc said our younger dog, Seffy, got into a fight with Hades. Seffy cornered him and somehow hurt his leg. Hades yelped every time we tried to touch his leg, so we couldn’t tell exactly what part was injured.
I took him to the vet the next morning. She seemed confused and called the other vet in the clinic to look at him. They determined the pain was in his hip, but it was not dislocated or broken. It felt swollen. Hades yelped several times while they were checking him over. I felt bad for him. He is on medicine for a week. If he is not better by Monday we are supposed to bring him back in.
Before we had kids our dogs filled that role. We babied them, and spoiled them. But when the kids came we haven’t had as much time. We still love our dogs, and pet them, and play with them. But it’s the not same. The past couple days we’ve been more dedicated to Hades, making sure he has his medicine, moving the dog bed all over the house to keep him comfortable, carrying him outside and back inside. Last night, he was whining as we were trying to go to bed. Marc lay down beside him on his dog bed and petted him. Hades was comforted, stopped whining and fell asleep. I’ve been praying over him again, asking for wisdom to help him, or even a simple healing. I’m not taking him for granted.
I’ve heard it said that when people don’t NEED God, they don’t pray, or read the Bible. I have always thought, no, not me. I could have things get really easy, and I’d still pray and read the Bible. The past couple days I’ve wondered. My son has been really healthy, something we are very fortunate for. But I didn’t really realize how much God has provided his health until I was looking into his almost skull-deep wound. Hades has been like a son to us for 8 years. Yet, other then thanking God for his presence, I rarely pray for him. So maybe we do need the struggles. I still don’t think I would drop God from my life if things get a little too cushy. But the struggles, the trials, help me realize just how good I really do have, and how much God really has given, and provided for me.
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