I’m Not Ready

Most everyone I know who has had a beloved dog cross the Rainbow Bridge has a hole in their heart. Our furry loved ones leave a painful gaping wound in our hearts that takes time to heal. The memory of that pain prompts us to avoid opening our hearts to that degree of deep hurt again. That is why so many grieving dog lovers are reticent to get another dog. Their standard reply when asked, “When are you getting another dog?” is “I’m not ready.”

I have learned by experience that it’s not a good time to ask your wife when we can have another baby is when she is having contractions. I’ve learned that if you are going to ask that question when she is in labor it is best to stand as far away from her as you can and have a couple of big, strong orderlies at your side for protection.

I have not quite learned that it is not a pleasant experience to get your wife a dog while her heart is still broken over her lost love. Marley, our toy poodle crossed over about a year ago, and Gracie, our Havanese, crossed the Rainbow Bridge a month ago. The wound in Wanda’s heart is still gaping. I want another dog and deep down, I know Wanda does, too. However, the pain is too real for her. She is just not ready. At least, that is what she says.

Knowing that the only remedy for a doggy broken heart is another dog, I took things into my own hands. Our house is empty without a dog. I can’t remember going more than a month without one in the last forty years. I believed it was time to fill it up again with the unconditional love of a dog. So we devised a plan.

Jimmie Stevenson, who brought Cinderella Punkin, our cat, into our lives when we were not ready for a cat, really devised this scheme. At least, I’m blaming her for it. She got Wanda to agree to eating breakfast this past Monday and then go shopping for rugs. At breakfast, Jimmie came clean and told Wanda it was a scam. We were going to see a dog instead.

Wanda was not a happy camper. I had been looking for puppies online for a week. I wanted a smart, trainable dog, medium-sized with a propensity to snuggle. Not high energy because my energy lever is waning, but lively enough to play fetch with the grandboys. We love poodles and the poodle mixed breeds were what I was looking for. However, most of the “doodle” breeds were so expensive some of which cost more than I pay for my cars. I was becoming discouraged. I told the Lord, “Maybe Wanda is right. Maybe it’s not time for us to get another dog.”

And then I saw her. Lucy. That’s what we named her. She is a Bordoodle which is a cross between a poodle and a border collie. The Border collie is the smartest dog on the planet, and the poodle is number two. God had her picked out just for us. Here is her story.

The breeders, Jeff and Leslie, moved to North Carolina from Utah about two months ago. Cooper and Lena, Lucy’s mom and dad, gave birth to nine Bordoodle kids three days before Jeff left for North Carolina. Can you imagine driving across the country in a pickup truck for three days carrying two adult dogs and nine tiny babies with their eyes still closed? Do you see the lengths to which God went to bring Lucy into the Ashley family? Do you know how good God is?

Oh, it gets better. When I saw the puppies advertised in the classifieds, I called Jeff to inquire about them. He said he only had one puppy left, and she was the runt of the litter. A female runt of the litter is exactly what we wanted. Most every dog we have ever bought was a female runt of the litter. And God saved Lucy just for us. And she cost little more than what a rescue adoption would have cost? Do you know how good God is?

When we arrived at Lucy’s home, Cooper, Lena, and Lucy came running out the door to greet us. It was love at first sight. Well, for Jimmie and me anyway. Wanda, not so much. Too many painful memories still.

Cooper and Lena demonstrated their intelligence and athletic prowess by snatching balls out of the air and returning them faithfully to their master. When Jeff stopped throwing the ball to them, Cooper starting throwing the ball up a hill and letting it roll back down so she could fetch it. Is that smart, or what? Lucy fetched a stick and brought it back to Jimmie. Good genes.

Gracie was such a Mama’s girl. They were inseparable. I understand that no other dog can replace her in Wanda’s heart, but God made our hearts big enough to have special places for a lot of furry friends. I’m satisfied that Lucy will bring Wanda back to the land of the living in no time. Even yesterday, Lucy’s first day home, she followed Wanda around the backyard while Wanda was raking leaves. I know Lucy will be more than glad to fetch sticks for her master to help clean up the back yard.

Last night was the first night Lucy had ever been separated from her mom and dad. When we put her in the kennel for the night, she whined and whined. I told Wanda that she would get over it, but Wanda couldn’t stand it. She put Lucy in the bed with us, and Lucy had no complaints. You see, Wanda is not the only one with a broken heart. Lucy’s heart was broken as well. I don’t imagine Lucy was ready to leave home either.

God specializes in healing broken hearts. He knows that hearts never heal when they are concealed. We have to stick our hearts out to Him and let Him heal us in His way. A lot of times He puts two broken hearts together and uses the pain of one to heal the pain of the other. And most times He does that when neither one of them is ready.

Blessings,

Kenny

P.S. We have come to love Cinderella Punkin, too, as much as any dog we’ve ever had. Go figure.