MOSAICS

I walked for hours along the water's edge this morning, watching the sun come up and surveying the shells washed ashore from the tide, displayed in an endless mosaic masterpiece, stooping occasionally to collect one that stood apart from the millions.  As I walked I contemplated the last month, and the way I had been holding my breath.

In a month's time I had walked away from a job I hated and my only source of income, a destructive relationship with my father, helped care for and say goodbye to my dear friend Jo, held my faithful companion, Fisher as he passed away from Lymphoma AND started a new job!  I finally exhaled...

I consider myself strong and yet today as I exhaled, I felt fragile.  Several years ago, I experienced personal ruin and recognize that gnawing gut feeling that comes with loss and the urge to just runaway. But this leg of my journey is different, I am different!  Although fragile, I resisted the urge to run, prayed hard for guidance, and was never without the support of uplifting and loving friends.  I am truly grateful for such good friends and thankful they can recount my gifts and talents, beauty, work ethic and values, hold my hand and lift me up on the days I am too worn to travel. 

This morning as I strolled, the shells told the story of my friendships, the women in my life.  Like those seashells tossed ashore, we are all fragmented, worn, void of purpose, empty and fragile from the different seasons in our lives.  I believe God's hand selects our placement, side by side, varying our differences, strengths and weaknesses, teaching us to reach outside ourselves in love and kindness to offer support to one another in this life.  When we share our stories, we help ourselves by helping someone else, and we learn that everyone adds value, uniqueness and beauty to the whole mosaic.  We are whole in HIM.  We are his masterpiece.

FISHER

"No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. I also suspect that we cherish dogs because their unblemished souls make us wish - consciously or unconsciously - that we were as innocent as they are, and make us yearn for a place where innocence is universal and where the meanness, the betrayals, and the cruelties of this world are unknown.”
~ Dean Koontz

 

Last week, I learned my very best friend has cancer!!

As I sat in the waiting room at the vet's office trying to process the a diagnosis of Lymphoma, my mind was racing through the moments of the past 6 years and how Fisher filled the spaces of each of those moments.  What in the world would I do without him?  My heart was just broken....

When the doctor returned to the room, we chatted about treatments, costs, and the overall expectations of Lymphoma in a dog.  As I listened, I was encouraged.  Dr. Walker spoke to me about the concept of treatment for dogs and how it differs from that of human patients with cancer.  He explained to me that there is no cure, just chemotherapy treatments that can offer a remission period of a comfortable, normal life, even if just for a little while.  Then he said something that really struck me...he said, "with dogs, we are looking for quality of life, not just longevity".  What a true statement about life in the simplest of terms!

What if we ALL focused on the quality of everyday...making it count?  What if we set our minds to find enjoyment and resist the urge to worry or focus on things out of our control?  What if we greeted one another with smiles and love, instead of gossiping, judging, or carrying grudges?  What if we truly understood the importance of a hug, not just for ourselves, but for others?   What if we truly believed our needs would be met, as we recite in the Lord's prayer, "give us THIS DAY our daily bread"?  Can you even imagine?

Perhaps, Fisher IS just a dog and I have bestowed him human characteristics, but he has taught me more about unconditional love, honesty, loyalty and quality of life than any one person I know!  As Christians, we are urged to focus on the quality of today and not concern ourselves with the worries of tomorrow, living each day to the fullest, ever trusting God to provide us the strength to grow, regardless the circumstances. Thank you my faithful companion, for teaching me daily how to enjoy the qualities of life, always with a wagging tail and enormous smile..... even if just for a little while.

GOOD BOY FISHER!