Weekly Word for January 11, 2011

Weekly Word - January 11, 2011

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

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It is funny how we get into routines, patterns - that make up each day of our lives. They become the heartbeat of our existence. You can hear it, and watch it unfold with the dawning of the day. So when those patterns change, emotions erupt, and we wonder how to start again . . .

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And there is a time for every event under heaven . . .

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My mornings usually start with the radio playing in the background, while my head tries to figure out what I am hearing. It takes a few minutes, but I finally realize that the alarm (music) is going off. As I squint to see what time it is, I push Ted to turn off the alarm. Sometimes he does . . . and other times I have to hit him a little harder to get the room to go silent again. My eyes fight to stay closed, and the warmth of the bed start to pull me back into sleep. But others have heard the alarm, and soon I have little paws walking all over my stomach. My ears catch the sound of purring, as AJ has come to say "good morning"! Sitting up, I see my other kitty Bear walking around in circles in front of the bed. As I stan up, both kitties head for the door - hunger driving them to the kitchen.

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This time of year, it is usually dark as i head down the stairs and into the kitchen. Already I can smell the coffee brewing in it's pot. It smells wonderful - but coffee has to wait as I feed my "starving" babies. As I reach for the bowls, the cats are walking in circles, hissing at each other when they get too close to the other one. As I put each bowl down on the floor, I pet them - telling them to be good girls. Then Ir each into the cupboard again - pulling out a bigger bowl. As I do, my heart starts to sink. As I reach into the refrigerator, pulling out lettuce and carrots, I can already hear the noises upstairs in the spare bedroom. Little squeaks and thumping are coming from the room. My other two "little ones" are also hungry. I fill the bowl up with lots of lettuce and a few carrots, and then I walk back up the stairs.

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Inside their cage, my two guinea pigs are also excited for breakfast. I pull their blanket back from over the cage, and there in front of me sits two little faces. Gina is gnawing on the cage, as Cocoa lets out little squeaks of excitement. As I open the door, they both put their heads out, saying hello and waiting for their bowl of salad. I pet both of their heads and then put the bowl inside. Cocoa gets to the bowl a bit easier then Gina does. Her leg is spread out and swollen, and she doesn't move as quickly. But soon the purring starts and both are eating contentedly. I sit there watching them for a minute, before I can't stand to look any more. As I turn away, I feel like my stomach is in my heart. maybe I should cancel, maybe if I ignore it - everything will be alright . . .

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And there is a time for every event under heaven -

A time to give birth, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

(Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 2)

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I can still remember the very first time I saw a "guinea pig". I had taken Mike to our family pediatrician, and as I waited I started chatting with Lynne - the doctor's wife. We had worked together for a few years in a ministry, and so we had become friends. Her son Michael suffered from asthma, just like my Mike did. So when I heard little squeaks from her kitchen, I couldn't help but wonder what was in there. That's when she introduced me to the family's new pet. "But your son has asthma!" I couldn't help but exclaim. She told me how the hair is not fur, and so they are not bad for asthmatics. That information just seemed to settle into my being. "We can have a guinea pig!" went right through me.

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We had always had cats in our home. From right after I was married, we had found two little kittens to fill our family. As we had children, the cats were a big part of their lives. I still remember my son Mikey, just learning to walk. He was playing in his bedroom, holding on to the crib - when he noticed our cat "Mr." sitting watching him. As he made his way over to the cat, I wondered if I needed to move him. Mikey put out his finger toward the cat, and very gently, Mr. put his paw out and pushed him away. No claws, no teeth - just a lesson in how to be around the kitty. From that moment on, Mike and Mr. were a team. That's why it was so difficult when Mike's pulmonary specialist had told us we had to remove the cats from the house. His breathing had gotten worse, and the doctor felt that removing the cat fur would help him. So we put the two cats outside.

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I guess I should have been prepared for what would happen next, but I wasn't. Within months, both cats died. Mike had found Mr struggling to breath, and picking him up he ran inside - yelling for us to come help. But there was nothing we could do to save our sweet Mr. He died that day in Mike's arms. I felt so guillty, and yet - - - I didn't know what else to do to help my son to breath!

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A time to give birth, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

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That very first Chrsitmas after losing our kitties, I decided a guinea pig would be a great present for Jenny. She was at that age wehre she really didn't think there was a Santa Claus, but I tried to make it seem like there was one. A few days before Christmas, I brought home a baby guinea pig. The kids were in school, and so I hid the littel critter up in my closet. I had a glass cage, bedding, and food for him. I guess I should have realized that keeping Jenny out of our bedroom, while everyone else seemed to disappear into there for long periods of time - - - might make her a little suspicious. And of course the little squeaking didn't help matters much either!

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That Christmas, "Charlie" became a member of our family. He had long hair, and was a golden red color. HE squeaked when he heard us go into the refrigerator, adn he liked playing on Jenny's bedroom floor. He gnawed on books, shoes, whatever happened to be laying on the floor. Jenny loved him! I guess I thought that he would be the only pet we could have in the house, but again - I was wrong.

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There is an appointed time for everything . . .

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As Mike and Jenny grew older, animals just seemed to become part of our family again. Mike had grown out of the asthma, and into a tall young man. He had taken up running, and one day he ran home with a small ball of fur! As he dropped her on his bed, "Baby" decided that was where she would live. The vet told us she was days away from death when Mike rescued her. From that day on, Baby was always with Mike - as he did his homework, read, or just hung out in his room - there you would find Baby!

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I guess little by little, our house seemed to grow with pets agian. I had raised children who loved animals, and they were always rescuing them! We would find homes for most of them, and keep the ones we grew attached to. So when the day came for me to leave my first husband - I also left the animals I had grown to love! I took Jenny with me that day, and left behind my husband, my son, and all our pets. It was a terrible day - one I wasn't sure I could live through. It was a day that changed everything in my life . . .

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And there is a time for every event under heaven -

A time to give birth, and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted.

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to tear down, and a time to build up.

(Ecclesiastes 3: 1 -3)

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"Goodbyes" are never easy. I have to admit, I do not like to say goodbye. But over the years, I have had to do it many times. When I left my first husband, I also had to leave Mike behind. He had grown into a 19 year old who had made his own life - working full time and spending time with his friends. At the time though, I hated the fact that I couldn't bring him with. It didn't matter that he was almost a man - I wanted my son! But I wasn't able to take him with.

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As the years have gone by, I have had to say goodbye to good friends who have passed away. I have had to say goodbye to my grandparents, my dad - and even to the mom I knew years ago. None of it has been easy. But it has also been hard to say goodbye to the "friends" who have been in our family - our pets.

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A few days ago I took a day to clean house. That usually means I also clean my guinea pigs cage. As I did, I held my babies carefully as I put them down on the floor. They had both developed tumors over the past 6 months. I have always known that guinea pigs get tumors, but I find I love them anyways. But on this day, I guess I really was shocked by how bad the tumors were. As I put Gina down on the floor, I realized she couldn't move her leg. The tumor had filled her leg and was going across her stomach. She could inch her way to the food, but that was about all she could move. Then I picked up Cocoa. She wiggled in my arms, and then I realized I was holding a tumor under her chin. It was the size of her entire neck. As I put them both down, I sat back and just watched them - sick to my stomach as I realized they were so sick. "What do I do Lord?" I wondered out loud. I wasn't so sure what the answer was, but I guess I kind of knew . . .

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And the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain . . .

He will swallow up death for all time,

And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces . . .

(Isaiah 25: 6 & 8)

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My mornings are a little different now. As I wake up, I roll over and push Ted to hit the alarm clock. I pet AJ as she walks on my stomach, purring and telling me she loves me. As I get up, Bear and AJ run down the stairs - waiting for me to feed them. As I do, I pet each one and tell them I love them. Then - I make coffee and head back up to the bedroom. As I walk past the spare bedroom, I can't help but look in to where my "girls" used to be. But they are gone. I took them to the vet and had them put to sleep - hoping I was keeping them from suffering any more. But I miss them. I miss their purrs and squeaks, and tears well up in my eyes as I think about it.

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And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces . . .

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It is not easy saying "goodbye". But it is a part of loving someone. If you make the choice to love, then there will always come a time when we have to say "goodbye"! I still remember the day that Ted and I took Angie to the vet. She was very old, and very sick. As the doctor talked with us, he told us she wouldn't get any better. But it was our choice - what we wanted to do. We chose to have her put to sleep. As Ted held her, they gave her a shot. I petted her the entire time, talking to both Ted and Angie. Soon, we knew she was gone. As Ted looked at me, tears pouring down his face, he wondered about loving and animal - only to have to say goodbye to it. I asked him one questions; "do you really wish you had never had her?" He looked at me and just cried.

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The truth is, that is the choice before each and every one of us. Will we say "yes" to love. Will we take that chance that we might have to say goodbye at some point. Because we will say goodbye - someday. But there is one more truth that God gives to us all. When we love Him, and bring Him into our lives - there will be a time when we are together again - on the other side!

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Will you choose to love? That is the question before us all. Love is worth everything in our lives. It changes our every day, our joy and happiness, and it changes our forever. I know I will see Norma again - someday. I know I will see my family - when it is time for me to go to the other side. Until then, I will choose Love - I will choose Life - for every day. There is sadness in my life, but there is also wonderful joy for all the good things that have been in my life. All the love I have shared with friends, family, and even my pets - all of it - has made me a better person. I am so thankful for the gifts of love in my life . . .

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And the Lord of hosts will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;

A banquet of aged wine, and choice pieces of marrow . . .

And on this mountain He will swallow up the covering which is over all peoples,

Even the veil which is stretched over all nations.

He will swallow up death for all time.

And the Lord God will wipe tears away from all faces . . .

For the Lord has spoken.

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Over the next week, it is my hope that you will stop to look at the gifts of love and life in your own world. Make a choice to bring those you love, even closer to your heart. As you do, your lives will be changed forever.

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God bless you and keep you - until we meet back here again!

In His Perfect Love,

Debbie & Ted Ayers