Buzzprints

I took a long walk with Eevee tonight, and we ended up at Buzz's favourite place.  I let Eevee prowl and I sat down on the rocks and cried.

"I'm sorry, Buzz," I said.

"I'm sorry that our best wasn't good enough for you. I'm sorry that your life started out rough, and ended so soon. I'm sorry we didn't find you a home."

I watched the river eddy and curl around the rocks. I looked out across the water, where just last week he chased his last flock of geese. There were none.

It was too cloudy tonight for seeing stars.

Eevee ran past me, and I called her back. "Come, Eevee! Come!" She'll never come, I thought, and then I cried again, because Buzz would have. He was such a good boy, as long as nobody came near me. Eevee never listens.

And then she turned and loped back to me, her tail like a waving plume.

She came.

Maybe Buzz left more than his collar behind after all. 

I laughed, a wobbly almost-cry sort of laugh.

Before Buzz came, we always said that Eevee didn't know she was a dog. She slept on the couch, sat up in the car, and hugged with her forelegs as if they were arms. But after Buzz came, she began to sometimes sleep on the floor. She sometimes curled up in the car. She sometimes squirmed around for a belly rub instead of a humanish hug.

Do you remember when Jesus told his disciples what God wants from people? To love your neighbour as yourself, and to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength (my paraphrase).

Forgive me if the comparison hurts you; I mean it with so much love and reverence. But, like Buzz, Jesus didn't come for long either. He had a tough start too. And He didn't have a home here either. But every time we love our neighbours as ourselves - every time we love God with all we've got - it's a little trace of his having come, a little proof that he was here. We're better humans for his having come that starry Bethlehem night.

Eevee's dogginess and obedience are little proofs of Buzz's having been here.

Love - deep and determined love - love is proof of Jesus having been here.

I see it everywhere.

Merry Christmas, friends.

Xo.

Buzz and Eevee in his favourite place on his last night.

John 13:35 - by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.