"I Miss you Sundance, and I am trusting God to care for you, and until we see you again, we continue to love you, and marvel at the wonder of  who you are, and what you have done for us"   
                                                           
Prior to January 7th, 2009, I could not hear it. But on that day, "Sundance", when he lost his life, opened my heart in a way I have never known, and I will never be the same again. 
In the days since, as I have turned full face, on my face, to our God, I have learned there is a sound, a God given sound, that is perfect in that it is a symphony of all creation, not just man. I have heard the sounds of heartache, yearning, and loss, regarding the love and loss between us as human beings and our pets and animals that bring an absolute and perfect devotion, commitment, and mirroring of our God, their God, creations' God.
I never knew the depth of love between animals and people, had not experienced, as I have now, a kinship and connection which has joined Sundance to my heart, soul and spirit. Sundance, for the year he was with us, gave me gifts and helped me heal in areas I have kept hidden, behind a fortress that crumbled and exposed my full heart, the day I saw his face.
I needed him, and I needed what he has given me in his death, though unintended, he has shown me the way back to my God, and the sound of the symphony 

He has shown me, through his death, the depth and magnitude of suffering when a pet, or animal we love is lost. I never knew, until these last weeks, the stories like the one of a grown man, holding the stray cat he had taken in, and had come to love, crying as he held the cat, sick and dying, grief stricken because, as he held it, the cat was looking at him as if to say, why are you, whom I trust, trying to hurt me? This man screamed in the agony of not being able to tell his dying friend, what seemed hurtful, was a desperate effort to administer help. Sitting in a patio chair, a man of 50 years old, cried freely and openly, through the eyes of a child, holding his small friend, as it quietly went home. 

And the symphony, of which he is a part, plays on perfectly, showing him and I, it will drown out the dark sound of grief, with sounds beautiful, because all God's creatures play the instruments given us, representing our lives, ours fellow beings to care for, share love  and life with, someday returning to him.

I never knew the depth of comments such as , I had to have my horse put down, I don't know how to go on or, I had to put my dog to sleep, she was too broken, and I'm just lost. And a woman with a big heart, crying, chasing a cat who had been sleeping on a car engine when started, and trying to hold her together, help a  friend not hurt anymore. And the deep anguish of a kind and caring woman, who, completely accidental, backed over her young kitten she had not seen follow to her car.

The "business" of living, the pace, and distorted priorities of this world, CANNOT be allowed to be heard over the symphony. To their pain, as representatives of a loving God, WE MUST answer with our love, and our symphony, playing so loud and peacefully, it brings healing and hope. We have got to make caring for each other, and all life, the most important part of our day, EVERYDAY.

This symphony must play on for them, overcoming the temporary, with the harmony of forever, when he will make ALL THINGS NEW.

I have lived my life missing many opportunities to comfort and really reach out, play the instrument that is mine in life, being part of melodies healing to those who have lost "animal family", and I want to respond to these NEEDS by sharing the hope which is alive in the sounds of creations symphony.

For Sundance and I, the symphony has played sounds that affirm our spirits,  meaning so much to me now, calming and soothing, answering my most important concerns, bringing peace,and hope to the place inside my heart where fear and pain had converged into garbled questions:

Is Sundance in heaven?

Does he know how much we miss him?

Is he lonely?

And each time, the symphony, our symphony, answers the questions, the grief that needs the assurance of our God, and theirs, the God who loves ALL his creation.
 
And it's answer, each time, is YES, he's in heaven, so are your beloved pets, and animals,YES they know we love them, and NO, they are lonely or suffering no more.

Love and logic, both God given, remind us, our animals and pets have no need for redemption, they've never fallen. God gave man dominion over them, even to name them.

And the sweetest notes of all, remind me, God, the author of love , would not give us these animals, these friends of his creation, to love and learn from, bringing so much love, loyalty, healing and hope, and then just leave them to death, and an eternity of nothingness.

The melody says a soft, "It's gonna be OK",  

Sundance, I love you, we love you, we will be there, and because of you, and your gifts to me and my life, our lives, to honor our loving God, as  a member of creations symphony, I will play on.
Peace my baby boy

copyright/SteveChapman 2009
sc.email@foreversundance.org