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Silent Loyalty


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I cried with her...it's that simple. 

 

I was approached by Anna, (I changed her name since she doesn't want to be identified), after a Sunday meeting. Not my congregation, I was just visiting a couple of friends at this hall...and Anna has known me since I was a small child.

 

Her hands were more weathered than I remembered...more withered than I cared to admit. I could remember traveling to her house 35 years ago with my parents and my sister...squirming in my seat as I eagerly awaited the wonderful adventures we used to have at her 12 acre hobby farm. She was always such a kind and loving sister...and above all...everyone who ever met her knew one fact above all else: Anna loved animals!

 

She didn't discriminate, she would have a bunch of abandoned puppies one week...and a pair of baby raccoons the next. You never knew what animals were going to be on her farm...you only knew that Anna would be smothering them with lots of love and affection...and showing them off to anyone who stopped by.

 

And that brings me to Maggie...even now I find my throat tightening...hot tears springing into my eyes. 

 

Maggie, precious, faithful, devoted, beautiful little Maggie…Anna's 17 year old Shih Tzu who had slept by her side every single night since the passing of Frank, Anna's husband. Her precious Maggie had passed away the previous week...and Anna was absolutely devastated. 

 

"She was my shadow." Anna whispered to me as we stood back in the coatroom of the hall. "She knew when I was hurting. She never left me alone...she always knew how to find me when I needed her most."

 

Whew!! Why am I crying even now??

 

Breathe Tim...it's okay. 

 

But what Anna did next...man...what this dear sister showed me NEXT absolutely blew my mind...and THAT'S why I decided to sit down and get these words out. If any of YOU have felt what Anna felt, please take comfort in the following verse:

 

Jeremiah 8:7 "Even the stork in the sky knows its seasons; The turtledove and the swift and the thrush keep to the time."

 

"Br. Alvarez shared this with me after..." Anna's voice quavered and trailed off. "After we put her down." She finished, wiping tears from her eyes as she opened her tablet and brought up the verse, (which was highlighted in purple). 

 

She read it word for word...I think she needed to...and then she just stared at me, as if I should understand what she was trying to say.

 

"Don't you get it, Timmy??" She asked finally, a little frustrated. "Here, let me show you his note!" And one gnarled finger reached out and tapped the purple square next to the verse number. 

 

Handing me the tablet, she watched as I read the following: 

 

"My dear Anna,

 

Even the birds return when Jehovah calls them home, not because they think, but out of instinct.

 

Maggie loved you and stayed close to you, not out of reason, but out of instinct.

 

May this verse always remind you that Jehovah doesn't need words. He sees the ones who stay!"

 

Friends...Maggie could never understand prayers...she didn't grasp the meaning of the word "hope". But she responded to something deeper...a quiet, God-given instinct to remain near...to simply offer presence...without "explanation".

 

Jeremiah 8:7 speaks of creatures who follow their appointed paths , not due to intellect, but design! What a stark contrast to us stupid humans...who sometimes selfishly forget or just plain ignore the One who quite literally gave us everything!

 

I can't tell you how much I respect this elder I have never met...he didn't try to "explain away" the grief she felt. He simply pointed out a spiritual truth: Even silent loyalty has serious spiritual weight in Jehovah's eyes!

 

Maggie's loyalty...her love...it may not have been "conscious"...but it was absolutely 100% consistent...and that consistency comforted this elderly sister in ways that words never could!

 

So yes...I sat in the back of the coatroom and cried with Anna...I hugged her...I felt for her. Who among us wouldn't have?

 

And if any of you would like to share experiences regarding your pets...please, by all means...share away! We can laugh together...we can even cry together. After all, what are brothers and sisters for? 

 

Just know and understand, my dear brothers and sisters...that loyalty doesn't always speak aloud...sometimes it's just silent...sometimes true loyalty just...sits and stays!


Edited by Timl1980
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Thanks for sharing this Tim. It was at the right time for me and my wife.

We love our pets. We've always had cats. Our oldest cat live to 20 years and 3 months. Rare for a cat. She was of great comfort for my wife, who has been disabled for 11 years. We had to have her put down, just this last Sunday.
That cat would sit on my wife during the low and lonely periods of recovery from one procedure or another. You know, when we return home and she's recuperating. And I was off at work all day long. 

 

 

 

Glimpses of Wonder & Everyday Wonders present: Black for a Reason

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8 minutes ago, dljbsp said:

Thanks for sharing this Tim. It was at the right time for me and my wife.

We love our pets. We've always had cats.

 

We do too!! We have two cats, one big and orange and fat and the other is our kitten, although he's over a year old now. Bruce and Max, respectively. We had another kitten, Barney, but he developed a severe cough and we had to put him down over a year ago 🥺

 

10 minutes ago, dljbsp said:

Our oldest cat live to 20 years and 3 months. Rare for a cat. She was of great comfort for my wife, who has been disabled for 11 years. We had to have her put down, just this last Sunday.

I'm very sorry 😔, this is why I chose to share this post. It sucks knowing they won't be resurrected, but we loved them while they were here!!

 

11 minutes ago, dljbsp said:

That cat would sit on my wife during the low and lonely periods of recovery from one procedure or another. You know, when we return home and she's recuperating. And I was off at work all day long. 

And this is another reason I decided to share, we all love our pets...they are literally family for most of us!!

 

Thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry you guys lost your beloved kitty!! 😭 ❤️🥺

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26 minutes ago, Timl1980 said:

Thank you for sharing, and I'm sorry you guys lost your beloved kitty!! 😭 ❤️🥺


Our cat was given to us by a brother in the congregation. His wife had found the cat at a lumberyard that she worked at. So I sent him a note after we put the cat down.

This Was the tail end of it:
Give someone a pet, and you don’t just give them an animal. You give them a life, and all the love that comes with it.

 

 

Glimpses of Wonder & Everyday Wonders present: Black for a Reason

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This touched my heart . I have a dog that is my shadow too. He is old. After reading this I am convinced Jehovah knows I need him. Every morning when I wake up, I thank Jehovah for my fur baby being with me another day. Thank you for sharing. 

Jehovah is my God,my, Father,my Friend

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21 hours ago, Mzbarb said:

This touched my heart . I have a dog that is my shadow too. He is old. After reading this I am convinced Jehovah knows I need him. Every morning when I wake up, I thank Jehovah for my fur baby being with me another day. Thank you for sharing.

 

Honestly, thank you for reading and taking the time and effort to comment. What's his name and breed, if you don't mind my asking? I absolutely love all animals...they often come to me when they apparently won't to other people...and although I don't claim to understand why, I'm deeply grateful to Jehovah for it!

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8 minutes ago, Mzbarb said:

My dog name is Jaxxson. He is a German  Shepherd mixed with Siberian Husky. My lab mixed with chow had to be put down during the pandemic. I miss him so much . His name is Khurly. 

 

Well I would love to meet Jaxxson!! I have always wanted to have a lab, or just a dog period... but my wife forbids it...says it limits us on where we can go and such 😞

 

Plus she always jokes that I show more love to animals than I do to her...but I swear they just love me for some reason!

 

Khurly sounds sweet too, I'll bet he was a cuddler ☺️🤗 Thank you for sharing!!

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Just now, Mzbarb said:

I think this may be our last fog

I hope we're very very near the end!!

 

1 minute ago, Mzbarb said:

Your wife is right, they do limit you

Figures, but honestly the trade off would be worth it to me, not to her though. I get it though.

2 minutes ago, Mzbarb said:

Hopefully in the new world, you can have whatever animal you want.😉

Yesssss, I'm thinking about riding a lion around for a while, just to see life from that perspective, (and of course I will be taking all the cat naps I can get 😅😉

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Thank you for this.  I know that was very emotional for Anna.  I'm sure you were a comfort for her. I've had 2 dogs grow old and had to have our to sleep 1 dog that a neighbor poisoned and 1 cat that got sick and we put to sleep.  It's never easy.  And just when I think it hurts to much and I'll never get another animal.  They're I go again.  I don't know what life would be like without them.

 

Dance. Even if there's no music. 

Dance Dancing GIF by binibambini

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20 hours ago, ChrisW said:

Thank you for this.  I know that was very emotional for Anna.  I'm sure you were a comfort for her. I've had 2 dogs grow old and had to have our to sleep 1 dog that a neighbor poisoned and 1 cat that got sick and we put to sleep.  It's never easy.  And just when I think it hurts to much and I'll never get another animal.  They're I go again.  I don't know what life would be like without them.

 

Thanks for commenting and sharing about your pets...it's never easy to put them down! 😔 I totally agree, I don't know what life would be like without mine either 💕

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