Besa

Last night our dog Besa died.
He was only 6 months old.
We are devastated.

That evening as we listened to a message called "Why doesn't God answer my prayers" Fraser and I knew that despite asking for prayer for Besa and praying hard ourselves, he wouldn't be with us for much longer.  Why?

Craig Groeschel (pastor of www.lifechurch.tv which is well worth checking out) listed several reasons why our prayers may not be answered in the way we think they should be.

• Is there a relationship which needs repair?  We should heal our horizontal relationships as they affect our vertical one with God.
• Are our motives in asking right?  So often it is easy to deceive ourselves that we want what we want out of pure motives but the heart is deceitful above all things.  God is never deceived.
• Does the Creator of the universe know what is best for us better than we do ourselves?  God loves us enough not to give us everything we ask for.
• Does God have greater plans?  Sometimes God takes the prayers that have not been answered as we think they should and uses them to do great things, in us or through us.  In the end, when we see what he has done, we would not have had it any other way.  The very hard part is the time between the"unanswered" prayer  and seeing what God has done.  The pain is often great but the Lord gives strength enough to bear it.  Though I am weak, today I believe.

 Last night was awful.  Canine parvovirus wrecks havoc.  Three days ago Besa was lively and healthy.  Part of the shock is that he deteriorated so fast, even after the vet medicated him.  Six months was not long enough.  He was a very special dog, born on the day we left the UK, friendly, good natured and fun.  We shall miss him terribly.