God Never Gives You More Than You Can Handle

 

It is often said that God never gives you more than you can handle. To that I say, okay God, enough already!

I’m not here to whine, but things haven’t been too rosy for me in a while. Last year I lost a pet and two friends. So far in 2009 I have had a partial layoff at work (hours and pay cut by 20 percent), and I lost my very best friend.

Buddy, the best boy in the world, my 11-and-a-half-year old beagle, got sick last week and after seeing the third veterinarian I finally got some answers and they weren’t good. He was in liver and kidney failure. The vet, Buddy, and I fought the battle for a few days, but healing and recovery were not to be.

I had amazing support from friends and family. I know that a lot of prayers were said. And I know those prayers worked because I’m handling this lots better than I would have expected. That’s not to say I haven’t been really sad, or that I haven’t cried a lot, but I’m moving forward with life while going through the inevitable grieving process.

One amazing thing that occurred was that I had my portrait made with Buddy just a little over a month before his time ran out. And I really wanted to wait until the spring green was blossoming, but for some reason planned it in March when things were still mostly brown and dormant. I’ve posted one of those pictures here. The portrait shoot was for my book cover. It’s not that I don’t have a million pictures of him, give or take, but now I have professional portraits too.

Loving another, whether it’s a pet or person can often leave us in a place of grieving because of loss, but I wouldn’t trade my time with him for anything. I’ll get another dog, probably sooner than later, and Buddy will always be in my heart.

As for the job cutback, I have been fortunate. I have a part-time job to fill in the gaps during May. It’s a temporary job working for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at the Nature Center in Little Rock. I have some freelance work I’m trying to land that will carry me through the summer too. So things on that front aren’t too bad.

I hope that whatever lessons I’m supposed to be learning through all of this are sinking in. I certainly don’t want to have to keep trying to get it. I’m hoping to get moving on the book soon. I’m still trying to get the perfect photo for the front cover and once that is captured it should move along rather quickly.

I know one of the lessons that I’m learning is not to give up no matter how tough things get. Just around the corner are blessings and love. And as some say, God never gives you more than you can handle.