By Dr. Mike Graves, Guest Preacher

A former colleague of mine had a saying taped to his door at the seminary, “A drop of ink may cause a million to think.” There’s no doubt in my mind, the written word can touch people. In this case, I have no illusions that this article will reach a million people, but a modest number counts all the same. Besides, the topic itself is rather small, about 20 pounds in this case.

Lucky was her name, and we had to put her down this past Saturday. Words cannot describe the pain, no way. Even the bard Shakespeare might have struggled. But while I seem incapable of describing the pain, I can most definitely describe some of the joys our family shared with Lucky for 16 years. We got her late in the summer of 2001, only weeks before 9/11. I remember because I was building a deck the day the news broke, and the little pup had become my shadow. Every time I fetched a 2 x 4 from the driveway and headed to the backyard, she went with me. She was the family dog, but my personal friend. It’s an odd thing to rub the belly of a puppy on the day when so many people perished, but it is life.

I eventually taught Lucky to run across the yard and catch a Frisbee, usually about 3-4 feet in the air. She was quite the sight, airborne with that red disc in her mouth. She didn’t usually like to give it back, but when I managed to wrestle it away, I would throw it again and watch her fly.

Technically speaking, she was a mutt, a hybrid mix of Rat Terrier and who knows what, Beagle maybe. Rescued from a puppy mill, her name was Lucky because she would spend the rest of her days on a doggy pillow with a blanket on top of that. Rough life, huh? She loved the sunshine, basking in it, no matter how hot. But Lucky was a good name because it was also how we felt to have her in our lives.

My colleague who had the sign on his door was the person who also taught me that “pet” may not be the right word, since it could imply some kind of master/servant relationship. He favored “companion,” like a friend. I think he was right. I have had people in churches over the years ask me if dogs and cats go to heaven. Clearly, I’ve never been myself, so I can’t say for sure. But I hope so. If and when I get there, I plan on bringing a Frisbee.