My dear sweet Mac entered his final sleep last month. He was my love.

Mac bounded into my life as a happy, energetic rescue. Along with Bo, Mac was one of the dogs I wrote about in Happy Tails: Inspirational Stories for Dog’s Best Friend.

At the heart of Happy Tails is the story of their rescue, restoration, and adoption and how it parallels the testimony of all believers who have been rescued, restored, and adopted into God’s family and the permanent, loving home He has prepared for us.

Their stories mimic ours in other ways too. Bo was chained to a tree for five years before his owner turned him over to English Springer Spaniel rescue. His message is one of freedom with his master.

Mac’s story of rescue began with his being hit by a vehicle and left on the side of a busy street in Atlanta with a broken hip. A “good Samaritan” took him to the vet for hip repair and an owner search. When no one came forward to claim him, Mac was offered to us. We discovered right away that Mac was a runner and usually found trouble, so his theme is one of forgiveness.

Bo and Mac both found a permanent loving home us, just like the one promised to us on the other side of eternity. And maybe when “creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21), I’ll be united with them both again. Till then I have wonderful memories of the unconditional love and faithfulness we shared together.

Rest in peace, boys. Mama loves you.

To order Happy Tails, a gift book from Thomas Nelson, in paperback or the Kindle edition, click or copy and paste http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Tails-Inspirational-Stories-Friend/dp/1404175741/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1418262565&sr=1-1&keywords=Happy+Tails%3A+Inspirational+Stories+for+Dogs+best+friend.

To order a signed hardback edition, email me at lhwinn@comcast.net. $15 includes free shipping.