Oh, Poor Ella!
By Susan Shanklin
Oh, poor Ella!
The world came crashing down on Ella the other day. The world that she trusted and felt so sure about came to a shocking end.
Ella is our 70-pound yellow lab dog that we got from the shelter at 81 pounds, an independent and in-charge canine.
Just before Christmas of last year, Tom took me to the animal shelter to try and find the perfect birthday dog. Missy, our lovable, faithful black lab was put to sleep due to old age and health issue several months before. I longed for a dog again and I searched the pounds and Craigslist for “the dog.”
Anyway, on that week before Christmas, we found Ella at a neighboring town’s pound. She had just been spayed and was missing her sister who came to the pound with her. She was kind of sad.
Ella, of no fault of her own, was lawless and clueless of manners, but she had a gentle spirit, so to speak, and we just had to bring it out.
I enrolled her in obedience class. Weekly, if we weren’t snowed out, we went faithfully with treats and leash. Fortunately, Ella was well-liked by the teacher and she only peed once in class. She did growl a couple of times to tell little dogs, “I am very large and I could eat you for dinner. Growwwwl!” But Ella passed all her challenges and her obstacle courses and booby traps.
We worked with Ella and she became a faithful companion and a quasi-obedient dog until last week.
It doesn’t take long for your world to be turned upside down in a flash. Things were going so good. Not perfect but hey, life is good.
Perhaps Ella thought she had the “life of Riley,” so to speak, and Tom and I were her trusted friends.
BAM! ZAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp!” I heard Ella and saw her fly by me just as I leaned into the quonset shed to unplug the electric fence. Tom had just put it up two days before around the sweet corn to keep the raccoons out.
Poor Ella kept yelping as she disappeared to parts unknown.
Oh dear, I thought, that must have hurt!
I whistled and called Ella but she was nowhere to be found. I quickly summoned Tom to help look for her and she finally does come, but it’s a different Ella.
The confident and trusting Ella did not return, but rather a sheepish, full of fear, why-did-you-hurt-me dog.
If you reached out your hand she would draw away. She no longer would come when called. Her bounce was gone and she only wanted to stay on the porch.
Fear was paralyzing her and the good life seemed to be erased from her mind. She didn’t seem to remember that I still loved her and would protect her.
As I work with her with patience and kindness, treats and petting, I see some hope, but I also see that Ella doesn’t have the same trust she had before.
I long to have my old pal back—the one that stepped on my feet and wagged her tail with delight when she saw me. I want to feel the wet nose in the palm of my hand as I walk. I want my friend to return.
God must feel that way too, I think. Sometimes, we as humans get hurt by the world and we end up blaming Him for something He didn’t do. We withdraw and don’t come around.
Perhaps we need to start coming when we are called and trust the Master’s plan. Remember the blessing we were given and forgive any wrongdoings of others. Hummm, sounds like good preaching to me. I should listen to myself more often, Ha Ha.
It is well!