It’s a brand new year, and I hope it will be filled with health and happiness for all of us!
I realize there are many things that will happen this coming year, and some of it might not be pleasant, but whatever may come, let us declare that we will obey the voice of our heavenly father and continue to dedicate our life to him.
We had a heartbreaking end to last year as just before Christmas we had to put down one of our most-beloved dogs. China was a brush-coat Shar-Pei and one of the most intelligent and loyal dogs a family could ask for. She had a protective personality and felt that it was her job to guard our property and to be constantly on the lookout for intruders. We have secure fences, but every now and then a wild animal would climb into our yard, and that was always a huge mistake on their part. China was jet-black and was difficult to see in the night as she would patrol the premises in stealth mode until we told her it was bedtime and she would proudly come in. We took her keen hearing for granted and how she would bark even when people were walking or talking across the street. China was so athletic and loved to run through the fields and investigate everything, and after 10 years we miss her terribly. I can just imagine her running in the fields and forest of an endless heaven with all the other animals who are there.
So far in this first week of the new year, things have not been much better as we are now dealing with another serious personal setback. Sometimes it seems that trouble comes in waves and that we are being attacked from every side, but these are the occasions when we must stand strong in our faith, keep our armor buckled on tight and stay focused on God’s promises.
Yes, life has its share of ups and downs, but through the worries and discouragements we must remember that Christ loves us, he is aware of our circumstances and will take care of us. Even though we realize that he always has our best interest in mind, most of the time it’s difficult to understand what is going on or why this is happening because we are traumatized and in shock.