Zeus

First of all please enter my giveaway, see the post titled, "Precious Jewels."

Secondly, today is day one of adoption training for Miss Briar Rose! We're one day closer to bringing her home! Eek!

Ok, now to the post for today:

With all the abused children in foster care and starving children in Africa, as much as I love dogs, my sympathies are lowered.

I'm against animal abuse and neglect of course, but I think we should be doing more for the kids.

However I am fuming over a little dog that clearly has been neglected, and possibly abused.

The previous owners of our house had a chihuahua that clearly had a a skin condition, ( I assume mange). We saw this when we were looking at the house as a potential buy.

The dog has shown up at our house for weeks at a time, without collar and tags, and without being looked for.

Last Saturday he came back and was sitting right by my door. I was holding Sweetpea and therefore could not touch him.

I.TOUCHED him with my shoe. TOUCHED, not kicked or pushed, just touched, and he cowered like I had beaten him. So sad.

So, I called him over gently, and showed him love with my closeness and words, (still not touching him). When he was so close I noticed he had at least 20 ticks in each ear and of course his body was covered as well.

I got mad. I went inside, got him food, and vowed to not let his owners take him back. All the authorities were closed over the weekend, (we live in a tiny town).

I also went inside and got gloves and patted his head. He bonded with me immediately. I could walk and pat my leg and he'd follow, (better than Bolt would even lol).

He came and went during the week, and finally stuck around long enough yesterday for me to get a good look at him.

He was looking worse than ever. I gave him some food and called animal control. They were closed, but said I could call the police for animal emergencies. I left my number for animal control to call in the morning.

I went back outside, looked at him again, and called the cops! I felt bad calling the cops over this, but I did what I had to do!

The officer was very nice and it seemed he cared about the situation. Zeus went to the shelter. I asked if he could make sure his owners didn't get him and he said he's sure they won't. I just wish they would have to pay!

Its so sad cause Zeus really trusted me- he felt safe with me. From what I understand of chihuahuas, that is not that common.  I wish we could have helped him more and kept him, but its not the right time.

God used this time with Zeus as a much bigger lesson.

We feel called to love on/care for the orphans in Africa, (not to mention orphans everywhere). Along with International Voice of the Orphan, (see link on right), we will soon begin taking trips to Africa, and providing for them financially once our house if paid off. Lord willing in 5 years our house will paid off, and Lord willing we will start going to Africa late 2013/early 2014.

Honestly, as much as I want to, I cannot go to Africa a day sooner.

The situation with Zeus showed me that.

It will take a lot of preliminary prayer to get me to Africa.

You see, I was heartbroken over Zeus. Not just because I love animals, but because we bonded immediately. He felt safe with me, and I could not keep him.

Starting to make sense?

We plan on adopting Briar Rose and then being done. God could change that, but we feel content with two babies.

If I went to Africa today, I honesty think it would scar me for life- being around all those orphans and not taking them home with me.

Now, as I said, after much prayer, I will go to Africa on a regular basis.

I will love them with everything I have, and return to my mosquito net at night and cry my eyes out.

When we learned Woody and Buzz would go home, people told us to guard our hearts.

Terrible advice.

Our love, (and the love of their previous foster parents), may be the only love they every experience. They deserve our everything. So we poured ourselves out for them.

It hurt. It hurt really bad. But it was worth it.

God gave me this verse at the time that proved what we were doing was God pleasing and biblical: Romans 15:1 NASB

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not  just  please ourselves.

This is now my verse for Africa. Over the next year or two I will be preparing my heart for Africa. Knowing I cannot take the orphans home with me, but that I can pour myself out completely while there. As I said, if I did that today I would be scarred and probably could not return. But if I use these years to pray and prepare, by His grace I'll be able to love fully.

I will be strong. I will bare their weaknesses. I will not please my self by holding back love or by lessening my pain by adopting them when I know its not the time.

Just like Zeus. I would have loved to give him a home. Definitely not the right time.

I can't save every stray, and I can't adopt every orphan.

But by the grace of God I can love them with all my might. I can show them love. I can show them Jesus. I can be their temporary Mama who returns every few months to love on them.

I can bare their weaknesses, but first God has to give me that strength.

Look out Africa- in 2013/2014 the Keierlebers will come and neither of us will ever be the same!