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“A
bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out.
In faithfulness He will bring forth justice.”
(Isaiah 42:3)
We
adopted a Jack Russell ‘Terror’ we named Josh, in November of 2005. They
told me he had been brought back several times because of his inability to
control himself. I soon learned that meant he was not able to control his
severe aggression toward other animals and no doubt attacked the pets of
previous adopters. Our Final Solution: We have to keep him away from other
animals. We tried very expensive and aggressive training by those we
thought were professionals, but in the end nothing worked. When we brought
Josh home, we could see that his spirit was broken. I guess he figured he
wouldn’t be with us much longer, either. He would not kiss us or have
anything to do with us. He would sit and turn his head away as if to say,
“I don’t need you.” When we held him, or tried to, he would actually take
his front paws and push us away. He was afraid of toys and did not
understand what they were or the squeaky noises they made. Each time we
put him in the car to go to the park, he would shake uncontrollably and
sometimes vomit. It took him months before he learned that getting into
the car did not mean going back to the Humane Society to be cast aside.
Slowly, he began to trust us and learn that he really did have a family
that loved him.
If I did all I
could to heal the broken spirit
of this animal, how much
more would God, in His love for us, want to do the same? Just because
we don’t see immediate relief does not mean it is not coming.
Just like Josh, we have to learn to have that child-like faith
and trust in the One who is able.
I was not the one who chose Josh. God did because He knew this dog’s
spirit was crushed far beyond what Josh could bear anymore. I remember
walking out of the building with him after we adopted him thinking, "Why
did I choose this dog? This was not the dog I wanted." Now I understand why I was
driven to bring Josh home back in 2005. If
God is so concerned for this little dog, surely His concern for us is just
as great. When your spirit is bruised, the Lord is closer than ever. His Word
tells us that He will speak words of comfort and love over us when we are
grieving. . .
"But I would strengthen you with my mouth and the comfort of my lips would
relieve your grief."
(Job 16:5)
Like a
loving Father, He wants to bring healing to those who's hearts are broken
and spirits are crushed. The bible says He sings to us and even delights
over us in song. It is no different than the love we would give our own
children. He is an amazing and loving God, indeed.
"The Lord your God
is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you; He
will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing."
(Zephaniah 3:17)
A bruised reed He will not break.
©
Copyright Cheryl Taul
May 18, 2007
Photos below. . . .
 
Fun days at the
park
 
Now he loves his toys.
 
Josh is a Daddy's Boy and
Daddy loves him. . . .
 
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