ECCLESIASTES 3:1–2
Well, tonight our fifteen-year-old dog died. She was very old and couldn’t really walk well, but she was always the happiest little dog who loved her life. I don’t know if you’ve ever lost a pet, but for my family it was really hard. My brother and sister are both having a hard time with it. Death is such a tough thing to deal with, and everyone tends to deal with it differently. Death is especially hard when it’s a family member, friend, or even a neighbor. I know when my grandmother died; it took me awhile to accept that it was true. But the crazy thing about death is that we know about it, but it still surprises us. We all know in the back of our minds that one day we will die, but dealing with the reality of death when it actually comes is the tricky part. I know that there’s no way to make death easier, but God still walks with us when we are dealing with it. I know that my brother and sister will be alright eventually and will be able to remember our sweet little dog, Hope, with a smile. Relying on God when death does occur is much easier said than done (believe me, I have been through it), but He is the God who experiences and lives our pain with us.
Holly Scott, 18, North Buncombe High School, Weaverville, NC
God, thank You that You feel my pain with me.
It is so great to know that I am not alone when I’m hurting.