To Believe and then…. Slip a Bit!

In EVERY testimony I believe, we want to glorify God Almighty and exalt His wonderful Name! Here again, may God be praised and honoured in Jesus’s name! I’m a dog breeder, and at the end of 2012, God blessed me with the biggest “harvest” ever! In January I picked up a deadly kind of disease in that cage, and 1 pup soon died. Two other pups showed the same symptoms and, I realised how serious it can be! In all my years of breading!

In the past, I lost a very few pups because of disease, but this was a very bad disease!!! All the pups have been inoculated on 6 weeks and they are not supposed to get that type of disease! They were about then 10-11 weeks when this happened! The pup, which was the in the worst condition at that time (after the first one died) faded away into literally skin and bone.

I tried everything with the medicine I have available but with no effects! Yet a 3rd pup started to look as if infected! One of the “better” pups then died! This pup who died, was in a far better shape, than my little “skin and bone” – called “Ellie”! So, that night, I also “greeted” little Ellie, as she entered her den, she falls over a small doorstep! I just stood there. Seeing a dog in that state is heartbreaking, I realised, the disease starts to take its toll!

I then prayed:

“God, you know how important it is to sell these puppies! Please God, heal them and let them live, in Jesus Name!”

After that I went into the house and did something I would later regret! I told my wife the “logic” thing. If little “Ellie” is not dead by tomorrow morning, I’ll have to put her out – I just couldn’t do it today!

The next morning I went to the cage. The 2 other pups were not doing so good…but Ellie (who really tried her best to come to me) was walking a few steps, then would fall down and then struggle to her feet again! I walked to her. In her eyes I saw a pledge. She would look up to me with her soft eyes and beautiful little face, but you could see, she was going through things like pain, fever and dehydration, still something “lived” in her eyes!! I picked her up with tears in my eyes, walk back into the house, to go and do what I must have done – maybe 2 days ago!

You see …Parvo-virus is a deadly killer and can wipe out an entire litters in days! The chances of saving pups in this breed are very very slim. Although I’m on time for inoculation and deworming them, that disease can come into your yard in many ways! Rats, birds, people who have been in contaminated areas – in some cases, even in compost you buy! To take them to a vet in the early part of infection, may save them, but chances are slim and, very often dogs keep “something” behind of the effects of this disease, and you just can’t sell those dogs – there whole development etc. maybe at stake and, I feel, you must and cannot breed with them!

After my prayer, I was still praying for my dogs to recover but then, didn’t I ask God to let the pups live! I did… but however, I was now standing next to a small box with Ellie in it! I injected her a painkiller and with something to go into a deep sleep, and then I can “put” her down finally, in a very humane way! I knew what I was doing because I have done a course with veterinarians in this specified area.

She vomited after 2 minutes, and the breathing started to get slower and slower – she was in a deep sleep. I decided to leave her for some time, she was so weak, she couldn’t even pick up her head by then, I thought that this deep sleep, may let her die anyway, and I won’t have to put her down – I don’t like to do it!!!

I know people may find this part disturbing but, because I really know severe chronic pain and suffering, I’ll help my dogs out of it! I will never do that to a human, but it is still wonderful, how doctors have the knowledge and skills and medicines, to help us people to literally “live” with pain which they can decrease or almost take it away! As Christians we also know that God is the big Healer. If He does not give the Healing, no doctor, no single person could stop any disease! Thank you Dear Father in Heaven!

I left little Ellie and started with my day’s activities. After almost 2 hours I decide to go to Ellie and take her to her “grave”. I truly believed she was dead by then. Then it struck me like a hammer! Didn’t you ask God to heal the puppies…why did you put Ellie down! I felt so ashamed of my disbelief! How could I! I said:

“I’m so sorry God, why and how could I not figure that out earlier!”

I then thought of Peter of the Bible, who wanted to walk to Jesus on the water of the sea, and how his faith in Jesus failed him! Now, my first name is Peter, and now I was walking to the box where according to my own action and disbelief, I must now find a dead puppy! In the box, there was Ellie, but she was not dead!!! She was breathing strong and moved her head and opened her eyes when I talked to her! I pick her up, washed her with dog shampoo and clean her with a special detergent! Then asked God to forgive me for my disbelief… I really slipped!!!

I then started to give her some fluids and medication! She was 11 weeks old. I started with 1ml every 10 – 30 minutes. She was too weak to even swallow and struggle to breath if she gets fluid in her mouth! I slowly increased the volume and by that evening she had about 60 ml for the day! Her skin was very- very tight against her body.

She wouldn’t take a sip of water, although a small bucket was right in front of her! She started moving more, even got to her feet, walked about one meter away from her “bed”, passed urine on the floor and walked back. I was not there to see, but the urine told the story! I was so happy and praised God! How faithful is our Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ is the Lord!!! She was recovering!

After about 3 days, Ellie was ready to go back to her cage. I just keep on giving them all medicine and give them vitamins and minerals and their normal food! Poor little Ellie, she was not half the size of the others. They will run around, running her over like a big truck hitting a bicycle! One could see Ellie longed for her mother and family.

When I put her down in the cage, the others will smell her, leak her face and their tales were wagging. Ellie’s tale however showed very little movement – she was too weak – it was more “swinging” her back than her tail! As days went by, I will give Ellie special treatment as she could not compete with the others at the food! I started to (against normal prescription) give her raw meat! She raffishly starts to eat the raw meat and … in days we could she her transforming to a real pup! Through this little dog I got one of my clearest lessons in life, in order to really trust God!

I realised God’s understanding for His children is definitely PERFECT! How big is God’s mercy and love and, and…?! The Word says, it is “ongoing love mercy, peace”, forever and ever! Wow, God loves us so much! He tells us the parable about the prize of 2 sparrows, and how He look after nature. The birds and the plants/flowers, … but He clearly says to us, His children), that we are so much more of worth than those things! God showed me/us, through an almost lifeless dog, how BIG His love is, how much He cares for us… yes, even if we slip! His hands will save us, He is always 100% ready – the God of Israel will never slumber or sleep! When we slip and look up… He, the God of the Heavens, Jesus Christ will be there!!! Trust God!!!

Now, to soften our human hearts even more! It is about 3 weeks later! Ellie still “stands-out” as the smallest pup! She maybe about 75% the size of the next smallest pup, but…. God made her a Queen. She is ranked no 1 by the others. If she climb into a bucket with food, no other pup will dare to get in with her! Even, if the biggest male pup (and they are big and strong) found “something” that any other dog would like to have, Ellie will confront him right away – she Will start the fight, and with the ferociousness of a lioness she will take what she wants! She seems to be unstoppable! The courage in her, the passion to live, was so strong in her and because of God almighty, hearing my prayer and knowing the best, He used this little dog to teach me/us, a wonderful lesson!

By the way, Ellie became Zellie. That is part of my wife’s name. God took us through MANY trials! He saved my wife’s life, in what we know, was a miracle and she also had 2 more ICU cases in hospital, for a stroke and an open brain surgery! In everyone of these cases, we know God was the HEALER!

So, Ellie became “Zellie” – for obvious reasons! My wife is luckily not ferocious like little Ellie (Zellie) but she is also a soldier, for our Savior Jesus, she loves Him dearly…we love Him dearly!!! He is the King of Heavens, He is the King kings, He is the King of our house, our marriage and He is the King for each one, who believes in Him! Those who do not believe, they do have a choice… maybe you struggle in life, maybe you are like little “Zellie” or, maybe there is someone you know, who experience hardship! Tell them about the Biggest Almighty God, tell them about little “Zellie” and, if God can do that do a dog that is maybe “worthless” to some …. remember His promise to us, a promise He will never fail!

You are worth much more than these things!

He also said: “If an “earthly father” who is just a human, knows how to give good things to his child, how much better things can God give to us! Accept Jesus and walk in faith and trust the unfailing God of Israel, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit!

I prayed for life, then without realising it, in a moment, I slipped in my faith! I have gone directly against what I asked from God, all… because of disbelief! I wanted to put down something, which I PRAYED FOR TO LIVE! Thank you so much Jesus Christ! Thank you for talking to us so dearly, even if we fail! You are the Almighty and we love you!!!Your Passion is so Pure, so Perfect – Unto You be all Glory Power and Praise! Amen!