Prayer and Compassion Help A Neighbor

I have been trying to go for a nice tempo pace run every evening for around 4 miles trying to go out easy and bring it home fast and hard.

Last evening I went to my running area in Holly Creek Estates in Tomball.  I turned on my music Honeybrowne, and started my runkeeper program and took off down the street wanting to build speed as i headed for the hilly section.

I got about 1/4 mile down the road, and I noticed a woman standing in her driveway.  She was an older woman most likely in mid 70's smoking a cigarette.  She waived me over, wanting to obviously ask a question.  So I slowed down popped  my earpieces out. I started to proceed across the street but noticed the largest Pit Bulls I have seen.

I asked her if he was sweet or would eat me up?  She indicated he was kind... so I went on over allowing "boozer" to sniff my hand at his pace and offered him up a little head scratch after we became acquaintances..

She pointed to someone sitting in the ditch holding another Pit Bull weeping profusely.   The lady told me that someone in a Red Escalade had hit her Daughters Pit Bull and killed it, never stopping nor even slowing down, but exiting the neighborhood as fast as possible.  She asked me If I had seen them before.

I told her that I think I had seen them before, they might be contractors working around the corner on a house.

I couldn't help, but go over and offer my assistance to her daughter.  "Shelly" looked up at me weeping still holding, loving, on her departed dog.  I could see so much love in her eyes and the way she stroked and loved the dog.  I asked if I could pet the dog for a minute and pray with her.

She agreed, so we prayed a prayer for God's hand to touch her and the dog and hoped that the Dog had died quickly and without pain.  I prayed for her to have peace that God knew it was time and he took the big girl to be with him.

At this point, Shelly and I are petting the dog.  She told me she was going to be 1 year old on Easter.    She had gotten the two dogs as a way to deal with the death of her father a year earlier.  I looked down and the male dog was now licking the other departed dog, he was kissing her wanting her to come back to life.  He was moaning crying as well.

So many times Pit Bulls have a terrible reputation, but My thoughts of them changed in this instant, as I saw this big beautiful Gray and white pit bull Mourning the loss of his lifelong friend his sister.  Thinking about it, they had literally been side by side since birth.

I too started crying, how could I not???  Seeing another Human in this pain, praying with them, touching the dog and petting her myself, I could feel she was cold, Her soul had left this earth and all that was left was a cold pit bull being loved in death by the owner, a stranger, and her brother.

I couldn't take it, and didn't want these people to see me weep as though a child, so I said I needed to go finish my run.  I took off teared up and weeping as I strode down the road.

As I was about 3/4 's finished with my run, I see Shelly coming at me in her vehicle.  She stopped me and thanked me again.  I told her I would try and get the license of the vehicle, as I had seen the contractors working on this house and often ran or biked by during my lunch exercise.

We talked for a few minutes, laughed, and exchanged stories.  I asked her about her Dad and Mom, she said  she checked on her mom daily as she was not in good health and had struggled since her husbands death.  I told her I too would look out and check on Mom when I went to run or bike.

I told her about Keegan, Austin and Hannah.  How much Keegan always wanted to go fishing in their pond, she gave me full permission to take him at any time and that the pond had Bream, Bass and catfish.  This made my day, and i know it will make Keegans.

I am thankful to meet Sherlyn and Shelly yesterday.  They are great people, I just wished it was under different circumstance.

I learned that you can do so much with Compassion, Prayer, and looking out for each other.  I have been struggling with my own situation.  Another Friend had recently, asked me to look at things from another perspective and have more compassion, and that it would change the way I see the situation.  She was so very right, in that instant, I chose to give compassion, and not be Angry.

I pray that God allows me to feel that compassion, and the prayers that come my way as I struggle with this most difficult Journey.

God Bless Shelly and Her Family Today as I know she is struggling with Why, but knowing it is in God's hands.

Kevin Overton