Today Yolanda and I had to put our little dog Wilson to sleep. He was 16 years old and had been getting sick the past few days so we took him in this am to be put to sleep. It was a sober reminder to me about the impact that Wilson has had on our lives. Whenever you have a death of any kind in a family, you begin to talk and think about the life that was once a part of the family. I know some would say, “he was just a dog” but Yolanda and I have never been without him as a couple. She Got Wilson as a puppy when we were first dating and we have had him ever since. We were talking about all the times that Wilson could have died from just doing stooopid things like getting out of the car on a trip from Florida to Springfield Missouri and running the WRONG WAY up the highway towards a birm in the road. Or when he saw a cat at our house in Wyoming late one night and forgot he was on a leash and took a tumble on his head down eight concrete steps. The best and most endearing memory I will have of him is when I was REALLY sick with my eye situation. I remember one time when I was so sick that I didn’t want Yolanda or anyone else around including my dog. Wilson knew something was wrong and kept trying to get closer to me on the couch. I finally pushed him away with my foot, but he kept on creaping up to me. I love my wife and she knows this with everything we have been through the past five years, but I can say without a doubt, that I probably would have killed myself if it wasn’t for Wilson. I just had no reason to get out of bed some days and sometimes Wilson was the only reason I had to get up and get going with my day. The mornings were always the hardest for me when I was sick, but Wilson was always right there with me. There was a stretch of 11 months when I was out of work where I was with Wilson all day sometimes. We definitely spent some good times together and now that he is gone I have a new respect for what he meant to me in this life. I want to encourage you today with the death of my little dog Wilson. My God loved me so much that he gave Yolanda and I a little Yorkie when we were first married but could see down the path of my life that I was going to need Wilson at my greatest point of need. He gave me Wilson when he knew I was going to come to a place of giving up on life and needing to have a reason to go on. The God I serve is so conerned about me that he would give our family that little dog to get my mind off of my eye rotting out of my head and on Wilson. God knew I was going to have struggles with believing He was there but knew that Wilson could be that bridge for me to figure out it was God all along giving me what I needed exactly when I needed it. Yolanda and I will miss Wilson, but that little dog served his purpose in this life and I am determined to do the same. I will live my life for the cause of Christ and for the people around me that need to see that Jesus can take care of EVERYTHING they are going through. This little blog post may seem a little dramatic, but you need to have stepped in my shoes the past five years to understand what Wilson and my God have meant to me. It was Wilson’s love of me that kept me going and I know that it is the love I have for people that will help them in their time of need. Hopefully, I will be that bridge for people to get from seeing a person loving them and lifting them up to a God that wants to know them and have a real relationship with them. If you want to know more about Jesus and giving him more important role in your life, then send me and email and I will be in touch! pbrian7@yahoo.com
Published by 7holycrap
Author of "Holy Crap; Finding God's Presence in your Pain" and General Manager of Rocky Mountain CTN and striving to break the mold of what is known as Christian Television. Yep. The term "Holy Crap" and "Christian Television" in the same paragraph. Sounds just about right for my life. View all posts by 7holycrap
Hi Bryan,
That was a very moving blog. I have always admired you. I know your book will be a great success. You have a great talent as a speaker and a writer. I lost my dog last June after 11 years. She meant so much to me so I can sympathize with your loss. I am glad that you had Wilson to be there for you during that trial in your life. I will be praying for you and Yolanda. God bless.
:’)
we put our 15yr old dog down in january. Thank you.