Column: Goodbye, Jax

Hello everyone! I hope this week has been a good one for ya...if not, at least we can say we had a week because we were alive to endure it :) Any pet owners out there? This week, you might be able to relate to this column. If not, still take a gander and if you like it, pass it along on your social media pages. Thanks again and have a great day!

original publication date: Friday, February 6, 2015
Random Writer
Goodbye, Jax 

My oldest brother’s family suffered a loss of sorts last weekend when the family dog, Jax, passed away. As a person who’s never had a legitimate pet (the two fish I received as gifts at a white elephant party while in college really don’t count to me), I struggle to relate, but for a ten, eight and four year old--my niece and two nephews, that’s a tough pill to swallow.

Every time we would visit their house, Jax had to go outside or stay in his kennel in the boys’ room. And on the random instance that he would emerge in our presence, he would dart around so freely. One of those times, he made it near my mother who would quickly shoo him away. My youngest nephew witnessed this and said, “Jax doesn’t love you. He loves only us,” which didn’t bother my mother at all.

After this past Christmas holiday, I was able to stick around and spend a few days with my oldest brother’s family. When Jax and I would cross paths, we would simply stare at each other until I would nod my head and greet him (“Jaxson,” I would call him by the full name I gave him). I’m kind of neutral when it comes to dogs; the only thing I don’t like is when they jump on you. And when that would happen, my sister-in-law would yell at him to get down, which he would and go on his merry way.

It was during that time with them that I learned that Jax began to escape the confines of the house and back yard. When that transition from the outside to the inside would take place (or vice versa), he would run out of the carport. My sister-in-law told me that he typically kept himself around the area, straying no further than a couple of blocks. And sometimes he would come back shortly, but the more it happened, the longer he would be gone.

So about a month later, Jax would meet his fate. He had managed to escape the house and the yard, but his demise would occur right in front of their house. He was ran over.

My sister-in-law posted a little tribute to Jax on Facebook, with pictures of him with the kiddos. They loved him dearly, especially my oldest nephew. As their aunt, my heart hurts for them and the loss they’ve endured.

But being the God-centered person she is, my sister-in-law took this loss as a teachable moment not only to her kids, but to everyone who would read the post.

“Jax had everything he needed within my home and the backyard,” she wrote. “A nice warm bed, food, water, a yard to run in, people to play and cuddle with, but because of the thrill of going out into the forbidden, his life ended.

“God tells us He sets before us death and life. We get to choose. So which one are you going to choose? Are we going to stay within the boundaries that God has clearly given us so we can stay out of harm’s way and receive life, or are we going to have it our way and live how WE want and in the end, choose death?”

Since her Monday post, those words have resonated within me because it’s so full of truth. God blesses us beyond measure, but in the moment that we have the chance to grab hold of something that He doesn’t have for us, we dart after it. In some cases, what we desire isn’t bad, but it’s not part of His plan, so to go after it is sin. But in other cases, we do want the forbidden and sinful, and a lot of times, the pursuit alone thrills us.

Because to go the way against the Father leads us to spiritual separation. Eternity spent without God. But to choose life everlasting with Him is a beautiful thing. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not always easy, but we can find rest in our troubled times by leaning on Him and His promises.

So to Jax, I actually will miss you. To my niece and nephews, my heart hurts because you hurt over this loss. And to anyone who might be straddling the fence of self-fulfillment and Godly contentment, just stay on the side of the Father. He’ll provide you with all you need.