Chapter 6 – The Next Step

God Teaches The Right Responses

Proverbs 12:10

“A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.”

Proverbs 12:25

“Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”

Psalm 27:1

“(A Psalm of David.) The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

It was a lot to take in and yet a calm, strong resolve was deep within me. And although my emotions were still settling, my Heavenly Father was at Work and had heard Kaiyah’s cry, and I wanted to be worthy of the trust He was showing me in caring for the life of this little beast.

I realized she was dealing with many things including separation anxiety and not just any, her babies were taken from her and she was again alone and this time even more unsure of what her life would be after the suffering she had already endured. I needed to focus on helping her not be afraid of abandonment and safety as I build the trust needed to address the fears.   Sometimes it may feel safer to be alone but that can also be detrimental to our well being. Who to trust? It is an answer I still ask myself as people can be deceiving, tender one minute and cruel the next. I know this all too well and have spent my lifetime trying to be like my Savior who can never ever be wicked or cruel. Again, I’m not perfect but He is absolutely able to keep me and anyone else who asks and chooses not to be that way. Thank God for His Forgiveness and Mercy.

Fear is a big fat ugly word and it comes with big fat ugly consequences. “How to deal with the fear and grief, Lord, show me what to do and what to say,” I prayed as I have many times before and since. “I need Wisdom and Counsel to build this trust and to do so with Your Fruit and not my own mess.” And I continued with my principals in prayer for all I was walking through. I knew the heaviness needed the right words…good words to make her heart glad. Good words are essential. The God I serve does not want us to fear and Loves Rescuing us and Driving away the darkness that wants us trapped, wounded and broken.

I set out to address the abandonment and separation anxiety. Short trips and I mean a few minutes as if I am leaving for work and then return with all kinds of sweet and reassuring words for Kaiyah and the kitties upon my return. Along with giving good neck pets and maybe even a little treat or two while eventually making the intervals longer and longer over time seemed to be an effective plan and it was. Esther and Gideon were curious with that new “come and go” game but really were responsive to the extra TLC it gave them too. I noticed it started a family bond connection in the process. It really didn’t take long to see results and slowly the hyper anxiety began to fade. A few good books got chewed, they were on the lower shelf of my bookcase, and one more window blind episode occurred but we were on the right path, which is always good for a husky to be on. The right responses with the consistent right words and actions began trenching in a solid foundation and we were making way for those building blocks of trust.

On our desert walks Kaiyah began to show a little more bounce. Seeing this glimmer of internal freedom was something I relished as we began a new journey out of the fear. Her tail was still drooped and she still had the heavy faraway look but it was a start.

My mom and I talked on the phone about Dad and the tone of things was positive. She was holding on. She wanted to talk about my life and work. An update on Kaiyah, whose name they both really liked and her story touched them both. Mom had a special heart for wild hurting creatures and had her very own encounter with coyotes down in Tucson. She had seen them on the outskirts of town after work and often parked to watch them. One coyote in particular seemed to be interested in her and began to linger. On one occasion Mom had decided to pick up a hamburger and share with the thin wild one. Needless to say she had a new friend and they met like that many times amongst the golden cast sunsets and army of saguaros until one day he had moved along. She reminisced about the sadness she felt but more so the awe of the quiet companionship they shared. In hopes of one more encounter she returned to the meeting spot time and again with a few burgers, fries, and one big milk shake for her. One day, at an unexpected time he reappeared, this time with a coyote companion which stayed farther back and watched as they shared their last encounter. She said it was such a special time and what a privilege to have experienced… and to meet his lady. Mom always looked a mix of emotions when remembering that and often would tear up at the impact that had on her. This gave my mom a special compassion for Kaiyah and even more so when she saw a picture of her.

Having had many special encounters with wildlife including rescues, I have to say every one of them is absolutely unique and they are incredibly special in my heart. I have a personal rule to respect their wildness and to not feed them people food but I confess I have put out critter friendly items on occasion. Mom used to say that you can learn a lot about a person by how they treat animals, this is a very true saying.

Esther appeared to be slowing down a bit more. It was time for some more advanced pain medication and her doctor was already waiting for my request. More often Esther and Kaiyah toddled around the backyard together and seemed to enjoy sharing the sunshine; it was warming to see the bond growing. I was grateful that Kaiyah was always gentle with her.

Gideon continued to provide the body bump and rub on her chest when she would walk by every now and again. My little Kaiyah Takota seemed more and more receptive and pleased with the genuine cat scan and eventually would bump him tenderly back with her nose.

The typical deadlines at the office were coming in hot as the month was flying by. I had just finished my jog with Kaiyah and was getting ready to make a mad dash to the office when I got the call.

…Until we meet again…