|
The Continuing Story of Buba Bumpers
To jump to the end, as far as we know, Mr. Buba Bumpers is still bumping around.
As you may know, we were gifted
with a blind, crippled, semi-deaf, possibly neurologically challenged,
dog, who Annie found starving to death and walking in circles in front of
our house. After giving
tender loving care to BB he became much healthier and happier. He seemed to be able to hear, but
couldn’t locate the sound.
For the good or the bad, he got stronger; strong enough to be able
to climb the stairs and eat Micki’s dog
food. Micki,
our canine geriatric beloved dog unfortunately did not ever adapt to BB
and just got more neurotic.
We finally set a date by which one way or another – BB would
be gone. A few days before the deadline we made contact with a woman who
said she was interested in taking BB. The next day BB left for a farm in
Brighton. It was
actually very sad to see him go.
Although we had to get rid of him for the sake of our dog, who is on her last legs, we really were getting
attached and cared for BB. He
wagged his tail when we came near.
He’d bump around until he found you and then nudge you with
his nose to be petted. He was definitely a very gentle and loving dog and
I am so glad that he will get to live a little longer.
In my article from a month ago I
talked about realistic limits to our compassion. We are not gods and our capacities
are finite.
This month I’m struck by
the ambiguities of life.
Certainly, our experience with BB was a good example of the
cliché that “no good deed goes unpunished.” But, on
the other hand, BB was a real gift and blessing. It was hard to love and care for
BB knowing that he shortly would have to go, one way or another. It was clearly a reminder of the
feelings that I experienced as my mother reached her final days with us.
There are the mixed feelings of wishing that a loved one won’t go,
and knowing that they must go.
Struggling with the extra demands that their diminishing life puts
on you and the guilt that comes with not knowing if your acceptance of
their leaving comes from being tired of caring or from wishing what is
best for them. It’s all
there in the single event; the blessing and the curse. That’s the
way life is; it’s full of ambiguity. It is one’s faith that
finally gives definition to the amorphous event we call life. Belief in a good and loving God
allows one to give a good and loving ultimate definition to what
otherwise is ambiguous. That
belief is a choice we make to affirm the ultimate goodness of reality.
Go BB.
Pastor Greg
|
