Except for the Scar

There was a time when we had quite a menagerie at our house. We had fish too numerous to count in one big tank and three guppies in their own little habitat. We had two gerbils that we called Him and Her because we could never decide on a name for them. We had two dogs. And we had Sparky, the rose-kneed tarantula. That’s right – we had a pet spider. Sounds exotic, but they really don’t do much of anything and we never did figure out how to play with him. Didn’t find out until after we got him that they live a l-o-n-g time. I discovered one fine day that they molt. When that happens, you go in one morning and find what appears to be another whole tarantula sitting in the spider house. Quite a shock, really. Not to mention a huge relief to find out that it is a hollow shell. But now, we are down to two dogs and one persistent fish. (Sparky lasted 10 years with us!)

If you are not a pet person, then you will probably have a hard time understanding that I am completely besotted with my dogs. Zorro and Lily are part of the family. It doesn’t matter that they are four legged and canine. They have a place in our hearts and our home; we love them. Period. It is okay if you don’t understand. It is not going to change. So, one day I noticed that a little bit of Lily’s fur was poking out in a funny way. And then I noticed a little bitty bumpy place on her skin. So I took her to the vet where she was poked with needles and examined. The veterinarian said that she needed some surgery to remove the growth; that would be the safest thing to do. That was on Friday and she had surgery on Monday. Between Friday and Monday, I prayed for Lily. Yes, I think God cares about my dog, too. I picked her up and took her home afterwards, all stitched up and grumpy, waiting for the report from the lab.


Lily on the way home from surgery

A week later, we got the call. Lily’s growth was a type of cancer. But there was good news. It had been completely removed and the “edges” of what had been removed were clean. Lily’s cancer is 100% curable. And she had already had the treatment. Our vet said that she will be just like it was never there –except for the scar. Can’t do anything about that. We celebrated. Extra dog biscuits for both Lily and Zorro to go along with the pain pills for Miss Lily. Woo-hoo!! We are happy at our house!



So, this really does have something to do with our Covenant Bible study. We have been learning about all kinds of covenants – Old Testament covenants that involved Abram/Abraham, Laban and Jacob, Jonathan and David – and New Testament covenants that involve me (and you!). Over and over again we have heard that a covenant is a solemn, binding agreement. And it means that the covenant partners become one – they have the same friends and the same enemies. They share completely. When we have a covenant relationship with Jesus, we have a solemn, binding agreement. We belong to Him and he will fight our enemies with us. He will never leave us. And, our sins are gone. Even our “edges” are clean. Forgiven. Forgotten. Just like it was never there. Except for the scar – a reminder of what once was but is no more. I am so thankful, thankful, thankful for my covenant relationship with Jesus. I hope you are, too. Go celebrate.  Better yet - join us for Bible study - what a difference it will make in your life.