Holding Life with Open Hands

“The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21b NLT)

Suffering loss can be debilitating, and it can take many shapes. If you’re a pet lover, you’ll understand how heartbreaking losing a pet can be.

Lola was only five pounds when she entered my life, but that five pounds was all she needed to win her place in my heart. Almost from the moment I saw her, I loved her. I’d had other dogs I loved, but there was something special about Lola. She was a Puggle, part Beagle, but mostly Pug, and man, did she love to eat.

When my mother-in-law first saw Lola, she looked at her little underbite and said: “She’s so ugly, she’s cute!” I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, because all I saw was a little girl who needed a daddy to love her well. From the beginning, we were inseparable. When I was home, she was on my lap or laying her little head on my chest.

I would sometimes quip, “If Lola ever loses her interest in food, I’ll know something is really wrong.” The years passed so quickly, and one day Lola kept going to the door, telling me she wanted to go outside. The first few times I thought she was just “milking” me for treats, but she wouldn’t take the treats when I tried to give them to her. Then I noticed blood on the carpet. We tried to get her into the Vet, but couldn’t find anyone to see her. Finally, in desperation, we took her to the VET Emergency Clinic.

Thinking we’d get some medication and take her home, our hearts broke when the Doctor told us she had a tumor on her spleen and there was nothing they could do. It was among the hardest things I’ve ever done, to say goodbye to my Lola. Even as I’m typing these words, I can’t hold back the tears. She was only 10.

Pastor Rick Warren says, “God never wastes a problem,” and that proved true in the devastating loss of our Lola. I love Jesus and I know He loves me and would NEVER allow anything to enter my life that He didn’t intend to use for my good and His glory. It took a while, but what the Lord taught me is that I must hold my life with open hands. What does that mean?

Holding our hands in front of us, palms up is a way of saying to the Lord: “The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21b NLT)

Open hands is a way to physically show our absolute dependence upon and trust in God. In my heart, it says: “Father, everything I have or will ever have comes from You. So, I want to position my life, through the way I live and love, to receive anything You can trust me to receive. But I also realize that there are things in my life I have needed to give up to You and things that will bring me to my knees when You take them – like when my wife left, when my dad, then my mom died and, yes, when my precious Lola died. But I trust You and You have always been faithful to heal me and bless me in ways I never imagined possible. Here’s my life, Father, use it, shape it, add to it or take whatever You want away from it, but in the end, Lord, be glorified in me. May my lips never fail to give You praise, not simply for what you give, or even for what You take away, but simply and forever, for who You are!”

Perhaps it’s time for you to pray a prayer like that in your own life. If you don’t know the Lord Jesus, you may wonder how or why I would ever pray like that. It’s because Jesus is my life. Without Him I am nothing and apart from Him I can do nothing of eternal value.

He wants to give you a life of fulfillment, meaning and purpose like you’ve never imagined possible. Place your trust in Him today. Please don’t wait. Click on the link and watch a brief video by Ron Hutchcraft that will help you understand what it means to follow Jesus. https://hutchcraft.com/the-bridge-to-god 

If you’d like to reach out to me, send me a message at walkingwithjesus09@gmail.com. If there is any way I can help you see Jesus more clearly, I want to. That’s why I write these articles. My love and prayers are with you, especially if you’re in a season of loss. You are not alone! Please reach out to someone who knows and loves Jesus. I would welcome your email.

Blessings, Ed 😊