Jesus and Misty

On October 5, 2009, at 11:11am, my beloved little doggy Misty surrendered to bone cancer. Through her death, Jesus showed me His love on the Cross.  The following memoir reflects these insights...

You are giving me eyes to see Jesus on the Cross! This morning began with a sudden crying about Misty. Oh, I miss her...

I remembered her death - how noble and surrendered she was to the suffering. She had no fear. She did not complain or moan. This was her Moment. I couldn’t enter in. I couldn’t share her suffering or her death. (You had told me the night before that I would not see her die. And I didn’t). She passed alone. (I wonder if she cried out to me at the moment of her death, "Why have you forsaken me?" - as you did to your Father, Jesus?)

I still ponder why you would not let me see her in the moment when she passed from life to death…
Was it to show me the cost of sin beyond the physical suffering?  The greatest price of sin is separation from You. And Jesus, who became sin for me, had to endure the Moment without You - so that I would never be forsaken... 

Jesus, Misty was innocent and did not deserve to die. Neither did You.
She loved me above all others. So do You.
Misty seemed to have purpose in her death. I know You did.
I sensed that when Misty was suffering in the last hours of dying, that she didn’t fight death - it was as if she knew this was her destiny and she did not seek to escape it. Neither did You.

Misty's Moment was a most powerful illustration of You on the Cross. Help me to put all this into words that I might give this message of your incredible love, suffering, death - and promise of Life!
When you said, “Forgive them, Father. They know not what they do”, those were the words that saved all of us.  (Misty never held anything against me - did she know that I couldn't love her as unselfishly as she loved me?) You know my sins...but you do not hold them against me.

I can see You through Misty - in her life and in her death.  Faithful.  Noble.  Forgiving. Selfless Love. I will remember her, Lord, forever.

I will remember your love on the cross forever, Lord. "Remember Me"...Yes, I will remember You...

Oh, Jesus, I want to know this love of yours.! The cross is the most beautiful vision of love I have ever seen in my heart. I want to love like you! Your love led you to suffer and die for the guilty, that we might escape wrath, and be one with You and the Father. I want to die to myself and be willing to lay my life down for others - yes, even unto death. Yet, I know that just like Peter, I do not know my cowardice and weakness of love for you.  Jesus, you changed Peter. He was afraid of dying, but You made him bold enough to die on a cross - like You.  Perhaps I do not know what I am asking, but I know that you can make me able to die to myself - make me willing to die - even unto the cross...