Saturday, May 10, 2008

Caretakers Of God's Creation

Towards the late afternoon, I went with my God-Son's parents to the veterinarian to send their West Highland White Terrier for a check-up. The doggy's all four legs turned blackish over the past three weeks and it was diagnosed to have yeast infection. The total cost was about S$120.

While we were waiting for the staff to prescribe the medicines, a lady in her twenties walked past us and she had a small tub with a black goldfish in it. My brother-in-Christ and I started wondering how come a person would be so extravagant to bring in an almost-dead fish to a vet? The fish probably cost her less than S$10 and the consultation fees alone was already S$25. Looking at the condition of the fish, it would surely die as the body was already contorted and it was barely breathing. Common sense would tell anyone it is better to just let the fish die and use the consultation fees to buy a couple of other goldfish.

Sadly, on our part, we found it quite funny but now as I look back, I think humans, as caretakers of God's creation, should treat even a cheap goldfish as God would. That is stewardship.

I also learnt, being a dog-owner myself, that it is my responsibility to take care of my doggy well and to ensure that her medical needs are met should they arise. Since God has given me the wisdom and freedom to decide to own a pet then it is my duty to be good steward of it.

Many people in Singapore and around the world dumped their pets when they get too old or sick and that, to me, is being irresponsible and cruel. One has to go through thick and thin with these creatures that God has made unless the individual really cannot afford the upkeeping.

This brings me to the next point where I would like to urge people who are considering buying any animals as pets to consider the long-term implications. If you are not ready or cannot afford to care for a pet, then please do not even be tempted to own one... you and the animal will suffer. This is not a snobbish statement but a fact!

Oh yah, I do not get commission from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for what I have shared so far. I can be their spokesperson though. Haha. Anyway, after buying Sasha last year, I realised having a dog or any other animals is like having an extra member in the family... we must treat them with equal respect and care. :)

Well, I have said enough. It has been a day of fun and learning while I was with my God-Son and his parents!

Time for me to sleep - looking forward to worshipping the Lord later in church and towards the evening, I am also excited to pray with the rest of my siblings-in-Christ from all over the world as we come together for the Global Day of Prayer at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Though I am feeling joyful for what had happened throughout the day, I am also feeling burdened for a couple of siblings-in-Christ. I shall pray for them after I am done with this blogging.

Good night to one and all!

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so. God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day." Genesis 1

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