“We love because He first loved us." ~ 1
John 4:19
Navy Corpsman Boyd Eppley and his dog
Ralston were nearly inseparable. That
was until Boyd was deployed aboard a submarine repair vehicle in the South
Pacific for 9 months. Weeks after his
departure, his wife Jennifer, took their aging Lab-Beagle mix for a routine
checkup. The exam revealed a shocking
diagnosis: the pooch had oral cancer. Ralston
had only 2 to 3 months to live.
That meant the pup would pass away without her owner by her
side; Boyd would never see Ralston again.
Jennifer was determined to prolong their beloved pet’s life
long enough for her to see her master one last time. The tumor in Ralston's mouth made eating and
drinking difficult. So she hand-fed the dying pooch special meals to maintain
her weight and made sure she took her medication.
Jennifer wasn’t sure she’d make it. But the resilient mutt hung on, toughing it
out for several more months.
Jennifer became more hopeful. A week before Boyd was supposed to return
home, she received news that his deployment was being extended for three more
months. She feared that Ralston, now
growing weaker by the day, wouldn’t make it.
The sweet pooch continued anticipating Boyd’s arrival. When Ralston
heard any sort of noise, she’d bolt toward the door, only to let out
heartbreaking whines after realizing it wasn’t her owner. Against all odds, the ginger-colored pooch
pulled through, as if knowing somehow that she needed to stay alive for Boyd’s
reunion.
A few days before Christmas, Eppley finally came home after
twelve long months away. Ralston ambled straight
for him; her tail waggling furiously.
The devoted pet couldn’t contain her excitement as she licked and pawed
at her ‘main man’. Boyd, overwhelmed
and speechless by his loyal friend’s reaction, gently carried Ralston to their
favorite chair for a much needed belly-rub.
He and his wife were sure that they’d be putting Ralston
down within days of the reunion, but then something unexpected happened. Boyd's return was some sort of magic pill
for her; she began eating and drinking again, without struggle!
But the heartwarming reunion was fleeting. After New Year’s, Ralston’s health began failing
again. She lived to celebrate her 12th
birthday in January, but when good days became good hours, they knew it was
time. Just before Ralston’s suffering
came to a peaceful end, she licked the tears off Boyd’s face thus sealing a
legacy of love and devotion . . . kinda like God’s love for us.
Love - it’s such an overused word. We "love" apple pie and going to
the beach. But His love has a much
richer meaning; a kind of love that transcends our understanding –
uncondemning; unconditional; uncommon.
My God, Your love is never contingent upon
whether or not we go to church, tithe, witness, pray enough, or even sin; Your
affection is always the same. We didn’t
do anything to deserve it, and we can't do anything to keep You from loving us.
Wow!
