A Living Sacrifice
Once upon a time, I lived a life free of responsibility, footloose and frivolous, without a care in the world, and I remember those days fondly, but I wouldn't change my life now for anything, even though it's hard, and my heart is frequently weighed down with the struggles of others and the day-to-day cruelty that regretfully yet legally, takes place.
Since the world of rescue opened up to me, not by my conscious choice, but by the overwhelming demand of all those in need, with no-one to bat for them, without a voice and without a choice, my life hasn't been my own, and I find myself offered up as a living sacrifice to God's glorious creation, most of whom are groaning under the weight we have subjected them to.
For the last 8 years I have been rescuing and re-homing dogs who are at risk of euthanasia, neglect or abuse, through no fault of their own, finding themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, at the mercy of those who are supposed to be caring for them, and where closing my eyes means imposing deep suffering and a death sentence, and I am forced to step up, simply because I can.
I am an independent one-woman band, who takes care of every aspect of rescue including providing a home for a large pack who live with me together with a colony of cats, food, supplements, healthcare, finding homes, assessing potential candidates, fundraising, building structures, managing staff, there really is no end to the duties of a Trusted Guardian, not to mention the additional associated expenses including sterilisations, staff costs, electric, WiFi, airtime, fuel, transport, boarding fees, and the demand of animals in need is endless and mind-blowing.
No-one gets into rescue to make money, rescuing animals costs large fortunes, it's extremely hard on the soul and a constant supply of time, energy and money has to be readily available so that saving and maintaining lives is not dependent on anything other than God's grace and man's love, and money must not be a limiting factor.
Discernment For The Truth
Part of the challenge in animal rescue is being known as genuine and the kickback from those without discernment, who are only too willing to tear people down, without any assessment of the facts, or even so much as a shred of tangible evidence, adds to the immense stress and takes the focus away from the areas that need our attention.
I sigh as I write this as it's a constant battle that is so time-wasting, energy-draining and soul-destroying, yet try as the haters might, they only serve to make us stronger and real rescuers can not let the enemy get under our skin and must seek to crush him at every turn, refusing to give him a foothold, not even for a moment.
By their fruits you shall known them, therefore look to the content of a person's character, look at their posts, look at their comments, look at their website, look at their history, dive deeper, the enemy cannot create, he can only destroy, and his heart is stone, not flesh, so if you can feel a beating heart beneath the surface of what is written, this should tell you all you need to know.
I am constantly amazed by the people who question, attempt to bully and accuse me of all sorts of terrible things with no factual evidence whatsoever, going off knee-jerk reactions that are founded on assumptions, hearsay and judgments, and it's agonising, not to mention defamatory, slanderous and a criminal offence that is a projection of their own shortcomings and not mine.
Yes, there are con artists out there, plenty of them and pretty smooth ones at that, but the enemy can't uplift, motivate or inspire, he can only tear down, belittle and depress, so when you see beautiful posts, written from the heart, borne out of the soul and delivered with such untainted purity, positivity and truth, know that there is still goodness out there, and let it touch you.
Money Is A Tool
Money is simply a tool, an exchange of energy, a currency to be used to purchase whatever is needed, for the betterment of those in need.
When we give, we must give from the heart, with a whole heart, in the knowledge that we are blessing someone with our presence, our offering and our out-stretched hand, someone who needs our help, someone less fortunate than ourselves, someone who is doing the work that we can't, and from this place, money is a blessing.
Life is priceless, yet it comes at a price, this is such a paradox, and Jesus himself paid the ultimate price, by paying for our sins with his life.
In an ideal world, where I live in my heart, health care and all aspects of rescue would be freely available and provided in abundance, both for people and animals, but we don't live in an ideal world sadly, and often we too pay with our lives as without money, we are bereft, bereaved and deemed by man, unworthy of saving.
I battle against this mentality and I myself work for no reward, other than the joy of saving a life, but this is the sad, sick and sadistic world we live in and for those who are truly in service, we have no option but to get what we need to succeed, the right way, through faith and doing the work, which is a deeply humbling and heart-rending experience.
Faith, Prayers, Miracles & Blessings
I've lived on faith, prayers, miracles and blessings for the last 10 years, it's both nerve-racking and exhilarating and I've come to realise that in my own power I can do nothing, so I have no choice but to humble myself in deep reverence to the Creator and Owner of all things, asking, knocking and seeking, hoping, praying and urging Him to give, open and allow me to find.
With God, all things are possible and nothing is impossible, but He works through us, His soldiers on the ground, to carry out His work, His will and His way, and it is up to us to be obedient to His call.
I accepted the mantle that was placed around my shoulders many years ago and I stand, anointed and appointed, alongside many others, in full subservience to the LORD and His creation, both to the people and the animals, to bring light to the world and to make it a kinder, better and brighter place, and despite my imperfections, I aspire that my very existence, is a blessing to others.
It feels that humanity is at an all-time low and that this is needed now more than ever, and those who are brave enough to answer the call, will be redirected toward a life that far surpasses anything we could have ever dreamed of, conceived or imagined ourselves, a life of purpose, passion and meaning, where we are able to make a real difference.
There are many ways we can be of service, through contributing our time, our ideas, our hearts, our love and our money, everything counts, everything matters and everything we give out will be returned to us ten-fold, let us not be afraid to stretch out our hand and let us stand together, raising one another up in love, giving what we can, as often as we can, for the betterment of all.
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