I would like to share a healing of our dog that occurred last May. We have a much-loved Australian Shepherd who has brought a lot of joy to our family. About a week before Association, he began to limp and lost his appetite. I used his harness to help him walk and a spoon to encourage him to eat and drink. I prayed a lot. After a few days he seemed a little better, but then he got worse and seemed to be affected mentally, showing disorientation and growling at family members if they came near or attempted to touch him. 

The situation was frightening to me and moved me to tears. My husband and I talked about what to do with our dog. We considered calling a vet, but we both felt it was best to let him recover at home. We have a large kennel outdoors, so I was able to help him to the kennel and shut the door tight so he would be safe. 

Afterwards I sat down to pray, and Hymn 502, “I Place Them in Your Hands Dear God,” came to me. I realized that I needed to let go and totally surrender to God. For four days I had nursed and prayed for this dear dog, but God is the Healer and I had to move out of His way. I also realized that in the midst of caring for our dog, I had forgotten to attend an online lecture that a friend had invited me to. I then asked myself if it was possible for me to forget to tune into the Association Zoom meeting, which was just three days away. This really woke me up from the mesmerism I had become mired in. I immediately made a reservation to go to a hotel so I would have three nights to prepare for Association. (I had no prior plans to do this.) As I prepared to be away from home, I also cared for the dog’s needs, but I let God be God and refused to feel bad or sad about the situation, since it wasn’t true. My focus had totally changed to “Be still and know that I am God.” 

That evening when I went to the kennel, our dog looked different. He was sitting up, looking right at me with clarity and peace, and his tail was wagging. He was completely well – 100%.