Zechariah 9:9-12 Advent Devotional

Advent Devotional for Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Week 3: JOY
Zechariah 9:9-12

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the war-horses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

As for you, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will free your prisoners from the waterless pit.

12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope;
even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.”

You never know who or what will come around in life to save you. Some are saved by religion. Other people find a cause, political or otherwise, which gives them passion and direction. There are still others saved by finding a person with whom they can share their lives. I was saved by a 26 pound, fuzzy-faced, brown-and-tan German Shepherd mix named Kiri.

The month of October was always a tough one for me in college. Midterms were hitting, I hadn’t been home since I left for school the last week of August and my birthday was approaching. I would have down days when I felt like I just needed something that was missing from my life.

My friends decided that, for my 22nd birthday, I needed a pet. This was completely their idea—I had no idea that they were even planning to give me a present let alone a pet! On October 27, 1992 they surprised me with a trip to the local park where I met my birthday present.

Kiri (sounds like Keary) was a rescue dog. She had been abused, abandoned and rehabilitated. I wasn’t sure I really wanted to keep her, but later that evening she rested her head on my shoulder and sighed. That was it—I was now her mom.

Kiri taught me more lessons than I can ever list. She relied on me for everything, which is a good lesson for anyone who will ever have children! She taught me responsibility and unconditional love. I learned to prioritize as I had to put her needs above my own. I learned to take a deep breath and exhale right before I went to sleep. I found out that the funny face a dog makes when riding in the backseat of a car can mean that they are about to throw up. Valuable lessons.

Kiri died 6 months after my first child was born. It was 3 years ago but I sometime still cry when I think about her. She really trained me to be a parent by demanding my time, my attention and my love. Sometimes it takes a great, public leader—religious, political or other—to save us. However you must be open to finding your own salvation in the quieter and smaller places. I found mine in a park on a sunny October afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan and I am eternally grateful that I did.

By Susan Hren, College Counselor