A story for animal lovers (or anyone else who wants to learn somethin' 'bout love)

Sacrificial love - Putting the needs of others before your own, regardless of the cost.

We put sweet ol' Rosa down today. She was 7 months pregnant. She was suffering from a brain tumor, & had lost the ability to function on the entire left side of her body, including her face; she couldn't chew, or even slurp enough water into her mouth to swallow. And swallowing was hard. But she tried. Oh, how she tried.

Rosa was a cow. That's right, a cow. A special cow. She was a show cow, whom we had owned since she was only 5 months old. She would've been 10 yrs. come this New Year's eve. But ol' Rosa didn't make it. And neither did her baby, who must've already weighed about 60 lbs. by now. And I'm sittin' here fighting off the terrible feeling that it's all my fault.

I know that's not the truth. It's just a lie Satan is trying to condemn me with. I loved Rosa. I loved her 'til it hurt. I simply couldn't stand for her to suffer any longer. So I gave her a kiss goodbye (yes, I really did) & issued her a merciful release into eternity.

"A stupid COW?" some of you may be saying right now. Well, I believe true love has no boundaries. Maybe God didn't create you to be an animal lover as he did me, but He DID create you to love. And to do it without boundaries. To love 'til it hurts.

Abraham did it. Read his amazing story in Genesis Chapter 22. Abraham loved his son Isaac, yes, but he loved God to the uttermost limits, believing that whatever He told him to do was good and right, even when he didn't understand it. And what about Isaac himself? Most theologians agree Isaac was not a toddler, nor a little boy when Abraham bound him & placed him on the altar, preparing to take his life. Isaac was a young man, certainly strong enough to fight his father for his own life. But Isaac loved his dad enough to believe that whatever he told him to do was good and right, even when he didn't understand it. Isaac believed God would provide, just as his father said, "God will provide the sacrifice, son." (my paraphrase) (vs. 8)

Jesus loved you 'til it hurt. Did you know that? YOU. Yes, YOU. YOU were on His mind when He willingly laid down His life. He took the stripes on His back for you. He asked God's forgiveness for you, (Luke 23:34) for all the wrong things you have done, or are going to do in the future. He literally died of thirst & dehydration for you. (John 19:28) He loved you 'til it hurt. He didn't understand all of it (Matt. 27:46), but He loved His Father enough to believe that whatever He told him to do was good and right.

Have you thanked Him for that lately? Shouldn't our gratefulness for what Christ did for us be given back to Him through our sacrificial love, as well? Have you accepted His gift of salvation, or have you continued to ignore it, thereby guaranteeing yourself a "reservation for one" in hell? All you have to do is admit your sins (we all have them), thank Him for what He's done for you, then receive His forgiveness with open arms & a true heart. If you've never done that, take time to kneel where you are right now, & pray a prayer to Jesus in your own words. He'll understand them.

You know, making the decision to put Rosa down was a really hard one, & it hurt my heart, my soul. Especially since I was the only one that could make that decision, knowing the outcome was entirely in my hands, wrong or right. But yeah, I did the right thing. I know that. God has assured me.

And I'm here to tell you GOD made the right decision when He decided to give His Son's life for you. Not because I said so, but because His Word, the Bible, proves it: "For God so loved the world (that's you) that He gave His only begotten Son (Jesus), that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish (in hell) but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

He loved you 'til it hurt. Let's pass it on.

And oh yeah, "Jesus, give Rosa & her new baby a pat on the neck for me, OK?"

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Isaiah 11:6-7 - And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together.

#Love #Sacrificial #Rosa #Cow #Satan #Hurt #Suffer #Abraham #Genesis #Isaac #God #Luke2334 #John1928 #Matt2746 #Christ #Life