MUSIC: Balm for The Soul

 A few years ago I wrote about experiencing joy in the midst of crushing sorrow and loss after losing my husband, grandmother, and my beloved cat. I wrote about the gift of being able to sing loudly to the Lord through my tears… Today I find myself in that same position;  several days ago I lost my dear father to a heart attack - his death came only 11 short months after losing my mother.  As I struggled under this enormous load of grief, I turned to prayer and Christian music to ease my hurt.  After a period of listening and singing aloud, I realized that once again I have experienced joy in the midst of sorrow. This caused me to stop and ponder what music means to me, and why it exists.

I grew up in a home filled with music.  My mother played the piano and had a beautiful alto singing voice; she loved to play often, and sing her favorite Christian hymns!  She also had a deep love for classical music.  My Dad played the trumpet, banjo, and guitar. He was in a trio for many years, so my brothers and I grew up sitting in on their ’jam’ sessions and practice sessions, most often in our home, and occasionally with my mother joining in on her piano. It gave us children a deep appreciation and love of music… hymns, dixie-land jazz, pop, country, and classical  music - we heard it all and enjoyed it all!

 

Christian music touches me as nothing else can - on a profound inner level; it moves my soul.  Martin Luther said, “Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world. Music is one of the fairest and most glorious gifts of God, to which Satan is a bitter enemy, for it removes from the heart the weight of sorrow, and the fascination of evil thoughts.”  Christian music lyrics can change the direction of my attention away from myself towards God, and allows Him to minister to me; to bring solace, healing, growth, joy, and worship of Him. 

Music was created by God for His angels to sing praises and to worship Him; and it is a gift from God to humanity. It has been around for all of human history; in fact we read in Genesis 4:20-21 “Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments and pipes.”  Two of the Old Testament’s most important figures wrote songs; Moses has songs recorded in the Bible: the song sung after the destruction of Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 15:1-18); a song recounting the faithfulness of God and the rebelliousness of Israel, that he sang to all the people just before his death (Deuteronomy 32:1-43); and a prayer recorded in Psalm 90. David is credited with writing about half of the150 songs in the book of Psalms, and was the official musician in Saul’s court (1 Samuel 16:14-23).  In the New Testament, Christ himself sang with His disciples after the Last Supper, as we read in Mark 14:26; “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives”.

We are urged by New Testament writers to sing, as in Colossians 3:16; “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts”; and in Ephesians 5:19; “Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the LORD in your hearts”.

The book of Psalms contains many songs and hymns for use in singing praises and worshipping God, such as:

 “I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD”      (Psalm 104:33-34). 

“Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live” (Psalm 146:1-2).

“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song” (Psalm 95:1-2).

There are psalms for mourning:

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).

 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).

“Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish” 

(Psalm 25:16-17).

And there are psalms of petition and supplication:

“For I said in my haste, ‘I am cut off from before your eyes’; nevertheless, you heard the voice of my supplications when I cried out to you” (Psalm 31:22) 

“From the ends of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge” ( (Psalm 61:2-3).

In addition to the songs in the Bible, God has bestowed great song writers throughout history with inspired lyrics, and stirring music in order to bless and minister to His children, and to bring praise to Him.  There are many wonderful, traditional old hymns that have been sung through years past;  today there are many new, modern songs. Some of my favorites are “How Great Thou Art”, “It is Well With My Soul”, “There is a Fountain”, “Amazing Grace”, “The Revelation Song”, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, “He Touched Me”, “No More Night”, “Just as I Am”, and others too numerous to mention here.  Music helps us keep our focus on the Lord which can bring peace to our weary minds, encouragement to our heavy spirits, and Joy in the midst of our sorrows and troubles…  music may be used as prayer during times of anxiety and fear; to voice our sadness or happiness; and to remind us of His constant presence - that we never walk alone.

Singing…  it’s what the angels do - singing Hallelujah to Him…  it’s what God’s people do - to praise and worship Him!  Nothing can stir the soul or help heal the heart as music does. It truly is a gift from our loving God - a balm for our souls!

I leave with you the lyrics of another of my favorite praise songs: 'Shout to the Lord' 

My Jesus, my Savior,

Lord, there is none like You;
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love.

My comfort, my shelter,
Tower of refuge and strength;
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You.

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
Power and majesty, praise to the King;
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands;
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand,
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You...

Introduction

Do you know how much Jesus really loves you?  Stop for a moment and consider: think of a time in your life that you felt TOTAL love for someone - mom, dad, sibling, spouse, child, friend.... now multiply that love by thousands upon thousands of times and you might have a small glimpse of how deep God's perfect love is.

Troubles and trials come into all our lives in many shapes and forms.  Jesus never promised us otherwise!  Some of these trials and troubles are life-changing events; some are devastatingly tragic -
and some are minor, but still extremely important to us in 'the moment'.  No matter what trouble we experience, Jesus is there waiting to help.  He takes immense pleasure in helping us through any situation - He loves us so much that He is intently focused on our lives and is deeply interested in our doubts, fears, troubles, and trials. Absolutely nothing escapes His attention; big or small!  He's standing by with arms wide open waiting for you to seek Him - to trust Him and to simply ASK.  Just as we experience pleasure in receiving a touch from a loved one,  He receives pleasure when we reach for His mighty hand.  He loves to hold us as He dries our tears; He wants to help us carry our burdens; yes, even carry US when our burden is too heavy to bear!

In an effort to illustrate His remarkable love, I've shared a few personal testimonies in the hope that one of them may strike a chord in you, and encourage you to reach for His hand and ASK.  I promise you, He is eager to help you in your big, or small trouble!

May God Bless you!
Laney

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE

In my years of walking with the Lord, He has taught me many 'lessons' and has changed my attitudes in many ways; but one of the most profound changes is illustrated by the change He brought to my attitude of unconditional love....

When I was in my 30's I joined the singles group in my church, and became very active in it.  We had several single-again mothers, as well as never-been-marrieds.  The group consisted mostly of women, but also several men.  One in particular, that I'll call 'Jim', was very difficult to like - he was not lovable in any sense of the word.  He didn't have a good haircut, or nice clothes, and often was not the cleanest, best-smelling person. In addition, he was boisterous, loud, opinionated, and very bossy - in general he was extremely obnoxious!  He was insistent on singing in the church choir, even though he was very loud and often sang off-key.  Many choir members complained, at length, that they couldn't hear themselves sing, and Jim was getting them off-key as well. They went so far as to 'vote' him out of the choir!  At the same time, several of the single women were refusing to participate in singles activities if Jim was going to be attending.  Since he irritated me so intensely, I found myself avoiding him at all costs; and found that I was being dragged along in the flow of 'complainers'.

So I began an earnest prayer campaign. I asked God to change this obnoxious person since he was 'ruining' our church body's unity. Every day I prayed for God to please change Jim - make him more likable, less obnoxious; or remove him from our church.  After months and months of my tireless prayer campaign, I began to become aware of other's attitudes and rude comments toward Jim - I began to feel sorry for him!  As time passed, I became aware that my own attitude was shifting - that I had become 'softer', kinder and more tolerant of Jim.  I began to realize that Jim knew his Bible very well, and that his Bible was well-worn; and much used.  God gradually opened my eyes, enabling me to see how much Jim loved the Lord - to see that he loved Him with all his heart, and wanted only to please Him.  God began to reveal to me that Jim's obnoxious behavior was merely a cover for his insecurities and fears of rejection - that his personal appearance stemmed from his lack of finances.  His loud, off-key singing was his outlet to express his joy in the Lord!  Then on one Sunday, as I listened to some people complaining about Jim, I found myself defending him, protecting him; trying to make his situation and his heart clearer to these folks - his brothers and sisters in-Christ.  As I stood up for him, an odd thing happened; I could actually feel love for my 'brother' fill my heart!  My eyes were then fully opened to the realization that through my prayers, God had not changed JIM - He had changed ME!  I was astounded!  In showing Jim's heart to me, the Lord had opened my eyes to His truth - He gave me understanding of true, unconditional love.  God's kind of love dictates that we have acceptance of people, despite their flaws; and that we have a willingness to overlook, and to forgive their behaviors - it means looking past the exterior person and looking into the heart.

As the years passed by, Jim and I developed a friendship and came to understand each other.  The Lord began to 'soften' Jim in many ways; and his love for the Lord shone through him in astounding ways.... I certainly learned from Jim all about how to praise the Lord freely, without self-consciousness, in spite of what anyone thinks of me.  I learned that we should worship the Lord unguardedly, openly, loudly - with all our heart - even with off-key singing!  When Jim met a special woman that he came to love, he asked me for advice on 'courting' her - I was pleased and honored to give him my help.  They married and moved away to another area and another church.  I've wondered about Jim many times, and still pray for him when God brings him to my mind.  I thank God for using Jim to bring such a profound change in how I view others; a valuable lesson about acceptance and Christ-like unconditional love.  Now when I meet someone who doesn't quite 'measure up', God gently reminds me of Jim....

BLIND TRUST

Several years ago I learned one of the most invaluable lessons of my life from a man named Steve. Through Steve's perceptions, my eyes were opened to a profound truth regarding complete and utter Trust...

Steve was the husband of one of my clients, and had been blind since birth.  He had an extraordinary way of 'looking' at things...he used other senses that sighted people never think about.  He perceived people from the inside - from the nuances in their speech; the emotions behind their words, rather than from their exterior looks and mannerisms.  He was a kind, gentle giant of a man who possessed a childlike enthusiasm for life... an appreciation of the small daily blessings that are there around us, if only we will LOOK.  He was intelligent, curious, interested, soft-spoken and a great conversationalist.  He had spent his life shuffling and sliding his feet rather than picking them up to walk as we sighted people do.  He needed to feel for cracks, pebbles, creases in carpets or anything that could cause him to trip - to fall.  He did this with an unconscious grace; at the same time probing with his white cane, sweeping it from side to side.

On one particular day, my client asked me to take Steve to WalMart to pick up a prescription.  As we exited my car in the parking lot, Steve placed one hand on my forearm and his other hand swept his cane back and forth as he shuffled along beside me.  I softly called out directions to him, "The door is three steps to your left, Steve"  "The carts are immediately to our right..."  He asked me to take the front of the cart to guide it, and he would hold onto the handle with one hand as his other hand wielded his ever-present cane.  Adjusting my normally fast stride to fit his slower shuffling walk, we slowly entered the inside of the store.  Still softly calling directions to him,  "Steve, there's a display rack on your right at 2:00...Stop for a second Steve, there's a child running up on our left..." we proceeded along.

Steve then surprised me by saying "You can go a lot faster than this - I'm fine."  So we sped up and he urged me to go faster still.   Laughing, I said "Steve, are you sure you trust me to go faster?"  He assured me that he had faith in my ability to guide him safely.  I glanced back often to see how he was doing, only to find  him smiling widely.  I asked, "Steve, are you ok?"  Still grinning, he answered "Oh, yes! This is wonderful...go faster please...I'm loving this - I feel such freedom!" So off we went, racing up and down each aisle in the store, faster and faster - with me laughingly calling out directions, "Turn left Steve...Turn right now..."  Suddenly I realized that Steve was not using his cane,  and his feet were no longer shuffling, they were speed walking - just like mine!

Finally we stopped, both of us slightly out of breath and laughing.  He said "Can we do that again?"  So, off we went racing back up and down the aisles - people looking at us like we were crazy! Steve was smiling hugely and laughing out loud - the sheer joy on his face was evident for all to see.  He thanked me again and again for the 'good time'... a time that gave him freedom to move... to shed all concerns about anything other than the sheer joy of fast movement.

As I drove home that day, the realization swept over me that Steve had exhibited complete TRUST in Me.  He had total faith in me to guide him, to steer him safely through that store.  He never once questioned my guidance - never once faltered!  I had gifted him with the freedom of movement without fear...he had gifted me with his utter childlike trust!

Why, I wondered, don't we trust Jesus in that same way?  That is exactly the kind of complete,  childlike TRUST that He desires for us to have in Him!   He wants us to KNOW, in our hearts, that He holds the front of our 'shopping cart'!  He can see everything that's ahead of us, things that we are too blind to see; when we are blinded by weariness, anxiety, hopelessness, grief, troubles, illnesses, sorrows... we can always TRUST Him to steer us safely through the 'aisles' of our lives.  We can 'pick up our feet' and walk in confidence, trusting that His ever-watchful eyes are constantly scanning the way ahead of us.  As I walk through the rest of my life, I will hold tightly to the handle of my 'cart' and I will always KNOW that Jesus is lovingly and safely guiding me along my aisles.... what Freedom - what joy there is in utter TRUST in Him!

FORGIVENESS

As a Christian I am frequently required to forgive those who have ‘hurt’ me, and have found that it is often a matter of ‘choosing’ to forgive, as opposed to simply acting out that forgiveness. However, I recently found myself on the receiving end of forgiveness…

Several years ago in a moment of time that was born out of the hurt, anxiety, frustration, fear, and extreme exhaustion of caring for a dying husband and grandmother, I allowed my tongue to rule… In that single, quick moment of time I had the choice of walking away from an argument, or turning to face it full-on. I opened my mouth and out came a torrent of hateful vitriol towards someone who was close to me. It caused such harm that the relationship, along with family members (some as precious to me as my own grandchildren), was destroyed. Through the intervening years I have labored under an incredibly heavy load of guilt, remorse, and sorrow; shackled to shame and wishing with all my heart to ‘relive’ that awful moment and have a ‘redo’ - but as many of us know, scenarios of that nature never happen…

A few days ago, I saw the now-adult son of my former friend and was able to have a good, albeit short visit with him. As I turned to leave, he stood facing me with his arms opened wide - an obvious invitation of forgiveness… As I stepped into his embrace I felt those horrible chains fall away, that had for so long kept me tethered to that back-breaking load of guilt and remorse. The effect it had on me was stunning - I felt tremendous freedom; a lightness in my spirit and hope for the future - I felt humbled as I basked in the knowledge of the gift he had just extended to me!

I’ve pondered that moment for days now, and have thought so many times that it was a small ‘picture’ of God’s forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross - the realization that through His mercy and grace, every evil thought and action I have ever committed, and will ever commit, are forgiven. The shackles of guilt have no hold on me - the burden of shame and remorse are lifted … The power of His forgiveness holds me captive to Him and His love for me - how incredible that it is available to everyone! He stands facing us with arms wide-open, waiting for us to simply step into His embrace and receive His life-altering mercy and grace; the freedom and hope we receive is astounding!

WHALE TALE

In 2004 I witnessed a miracle....  My husband knew that soon he would be unable to walk - he had been suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease since 1999, and was unsure how much longer he would have even partial use of his legs.  His one wish in life was to see Alaska - the 'Last Frontier'.  I jumped at the chance to go, realizing that this could be my only chance to see a real, live whale in the wild!  I had an ongoing love affair with Humpback whales for most of my life, and had pretty much given up the hope of ever seeing one.

We got a late start on our vacation; we wouldn't be leaving until late September...the very end of the tourist season in Alaska.  My brother met us in Seattle and the three of us flew together to Juneau on September 22nd.  Upon our arrival at an utterly beautiful mountain cabin that we rented, we immediately booked a boat tour to see the glaciers and fjords; and a second tour to see the Orca whales.  Our first trip was to the Tracy Arms Fjord and Glacier on a 40 foot boat with about 15 other tourists. On that morning the day dawned cold, clear, crisp and sunny... the water looked like glass - it was perfect!  We boarded very early in the morning amidst much excitement, and high hopes of seeing the glacier 'calve'... and maybe seeing some wildlife as well.

About halfway through the 12 hour trip someone spotted a whale 'spout' off in the distance, and I felt my heart leap in anticipation of getting the opportunity to seeing a whale!  My long held dream could actually come true!  As I stood at the railing squinting off into the distance, video camera ready in my hand, I said a quick prayer ... "Lord, you know my heart; you know how difficult our lives have been - how we are struggling with this disease...you know this could be the only chance I'll ever have in my lifetime to see a whale.  Could you please grant me a miracle - could you send a whale over this way?"

As we sailed along, l saw 2 more 'spouts'...then 4 more... then several more on the opposite side of the boat - 10 minutes later there were 'spouts' everywhere!  The Captain slowed the boat down because there were whales all around us - as far as the eye could see, in every direction, were whale spouts!  People were crowding the rails, cameras snapping crazily, voices raised in excitement as some of the whales swam ever closer to the boat. There were so MANY!  Soon the boat was surrounded - some coming so close I could have leaned over the railing and touched them!  The Captain brought the boat to a complete stop and cut the engines off.  We were drifting in a literal 'sea of Humpback whales'!  The sounds of their blowing and spouting were growing louder and louder, as the excited cries of the passengers grew hushed.  We stood in silence - in total awe - knowing we were witnessing something rare... something incredible!  We were watching nearly 80 whales in every direction - the ones swimming around the boat were diving under it, then resurfacing on the other side - their blowholes eerily whistling as they spouted water spray into our fascinated faces...  Their unbelievably graceful, water-slick bodies rising and rolling; giant whale tails pointing straight up into the air, then slowly sinking into the depths.  It was like watching a beautifully choreographed dance....  I stood in absolute stillness; breath catching in my throat - tears clouding my eyes, as I took in the sheer WONDER of it!  It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life...

We drifted for nearly an hour as the whales surfaced and dived...surfaced and dived - all in seeming 'slow-motion'; some so close to me that I could count the individual barnacles on their tails - could look into their eyes as they surfaced!  The Captain's voice came over the intercom in quiet wonder as he announced that in all his 30+ years of sailing these waters, he had never before experienced such a phenomena - he had never seen so many whales  in one place;  by that time of the year the whales should already have been long gone from the area, on their migration routes to the south.

I remember leaning over the railing with the cold breeze blowing the whale's spray into my face, video camera rolling... I can still feel the absolute, perfect joy - the awe of seeing so many whales at one time, in such close proximity! I felt an overwhelming warmth envelope me as I realized that God had not only heard my simple prayer, but had answered in such a magnificent way!  I felt wrapped in His love...felt His smile at the perfect gift He had given me....the dream of a lifetime!

Today, I can simply close my eyes and I'm instantly transported back to those magical moments in time - once again experiencing the smells...the sounds...the biting cold... the enchanting moments of realization that my God had sent ME... a miracle.....

                               

LITTLE BEAR

When I married my late husband in 1997, I married his best friend as well.  He was a 200-pound Giant Alaskan Malamute with a 30-inch neck, and the disposition of an angel. His name was Little Bear.  He was a colossal ball of fur filled with gentleness and love - he didn't know the meaning of the word 'Mean'.  His biggest problem: he was thought he was a 'lap' dog!  He was convinced that he could crawl up on your lap for a good 'petting', or maybe a nap, anytime he felt the urge! He didn't understand that his head alone would fill an entire lap!  My husband raised him from a puppy, so they were best 'pals' and were inseparable.  Little Bear stole my heart, I quickly fell head over heels in love with him - I called him 'Bearbee'.

He had 40 acres to run on, to play, and to chase rabbits - my husband used to laugh and say it was like watching a Sherman tank chasing a Ferrari!  Little Bear never barked or growled - instead (like the part-wolf that he was) he had a beautiful, haunting howl. He loved for us to come out in the evenings and howl with him - I called it "Bear Singing'.  The three of us would get so loud, that the coyotes would 'holler' back at us!  He was a great visitor as well; he especially liked our neighbors on the 40 acres adjacent to ours - she told us many funny stories about his visits.  Such as the time her friends from town came to visit - when they drove up to the house Little Bear appeared out of the woods, and walked right up to the window of the car, where he stood looking straight in at them (he was so tall that he could stand flat-footed and look into a car window).  He was simply hoping for some good 'attention' - he preened when people oohed and aahed over him!  Of course, these folks in the car didn't know that! Our neighbor heard blood-curdling screams coming from the car - they were frantically rolling up the windows and fearfully honking the horn, as they desperately hollered out,  "WOLF! WOLF; there's a wolf out here - stay in the house!"  We all got a good laugh out of that one!

Everyone that ever met Little Bear never forgot him - he was like a rock star!!  He was so huge, so majestic looking - yet so very gentle and sweet that people were drawn to him. We often said that God had broken the mold after He made Little Bear, because he was THAT perfect!  Strangers often approached us in parking lots just to get a 'look' at him standing so tall and proud in the truck bed - children in particular were especially fascinated with this dog that was as big as a pony! Almost everyone in town knew who he was - you see, when he was younger, he had been kidnapped and taken to Las Vegas to fight pitbulls.  My husband posted 'missing' flyers all over the city, and even went on the local news asking for folks to call with any leads on finding him. Thankfully, Little Bear was rescued before any harm was done, and there was an ecstatic reunion with his best 'pal'.

In 1999 Bearbee turned 9 years old, and the three of us celebrated our first 18 months together.  One day in October,  I noticed that he had been sleeping beside my garden all day long.  He always came running when I called Him - usually in the hopes of getting a treat; but he would always happily settle for a good tummy-rub.  However, on this day, he didn't even raise his head when he heard me call his name.  The next morning he was still lying in the same spot, and still wouldn't raise his head ... we were really concerned now.  When I approached him, calling his name, he just rolled his eyes to me, but  remained still. We decided that something was very wrong and called our neighbor to come and help us get him loaded into the truck bed, for a trip to the vet. But when the three of us tried to move him at all, or even touched him, he would scream out in pain.  After several unsuccessful tries, we called our vet, who immediately headed up the mountain to our place.  After thoroughly checking Bear over, he gave us the bad news - "He's full of cancer and is in terrible pain - if we can get I'm to town, it's doubtful he would even survive surgery.  There's really nothing to be done for him at this stage."  We had to make the heart-wrenching decision to have the vet put him to sleep... right there and then.  As the vet readied the syringes, I sat on the ground and held Bearbee's massive head in my lap.  He gazed into my face, his big golden-brown eyes full of pain, and love.  I watched my husband walk away into the woods with his head bowed; his shoulders shaking with sobs - he could not stay and watch his best friend die.  I leaned over and looked into Little Bear's eyes as I held his precious face in my hands.  He looked at me with the most trusting look on his face, as if  he KNEW he was dying and was comforted that I was with him.  I wanted so badly to jump up and run away - I wanted to scream that I could NOT do this.  Silently I cried to God,  "Lord, I'm not strong enough for this, I cannot watch the life go out of his eyes, he's too dear."  And in that excruciating moment, God in His mercy, came to me and gave me His strength as He held us both in His mighty arms.  He enabled me to be strong for my beloved Bearbee, and for my husband in his deep grief.  With my tears falling onto his face, Little Bear quietly slipped away as I spoke softly to him, telling him over and over how much we loved him.

The Bible is strangely silent about whether or not pets are in heaven, but I believe in my heart,  that God brings certain animals into our lives for us to love, and for them to love us.  I have no doubt that God created Little Bear specifically to bring joy into our lives.  God created dogs with two extremely awesome attributes - He gave them the supernatural ability to love unconditionally, and to love faithfully.  We could all learn something from our dogs about true love and devotion!  God knows how much we love our pets, and I know there will be no tears in heaven.  So I believe that God, who loves to give us the desires of our hearts in this life, will give even MORE when we are in heaven! Therefore it is my hope that God will have Little Bear waiting for me with wagging tail as I enter into heaven.

One month after we lost  Little Bear, my husband was diagnosed with A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's Disease).  I had no idea on that dreadful day of Little Bear's death, that it was but a foreshadow of what was to come 11 years later.  In a way, God was beginning to prepare me to trust in Him for strength in the face of death...  I believe that if there are animals in heaven,  Little Bear is 'romping' joyfully, and is getting his tummy rubbed by his best 'pal'...