Three Word Wednesday: Love fights fair

I impatiently sit in a small room trying to keep Drake calm while we wait for a specialty veterinarian to see us. Two couples essentially confirmed his diagnosis the moment we walked into the office.

“A torn ACL?” I half smile back at them hoping they are wrong.

Drake, our 60 lbs. Boxer mix, has a limp leg.  Our normal veterinarian forewarned me what came with news of an ACL tear. I pray for different news.

A female veterinarian who specializes in surgery enters the room. At this point I am sitting on the floor with Drake. We have not stopped shaking since we left home. We make quite the pair.

I do not necessarily fear confirmation of his injury. I fear the cost to return him to his able-bodied self.

My husband waits on the other end of the world for news as well.

“He has what we call an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear,” the doctor says.

I am doing my best to listen and understand as she tells me the options for treatment. Would you just get to the part of telling me what you recommend and the cost?

My heart beats faster as the number rolls off her tongue. Her number doubles that of the number our normal veterinarian forewarned me of before coming here.

I contemplate the conversation I had with my husband yesterday in anticipation of the decision I knew we would face. My interpretation of the conversation has us on the same page. After a text to him, which included revealing a large four digit number, it became clear we were not.

“A great marriage on Monday can start driving off the cliff on Tuesday, if unbridled conflict takes over and neither of you has your foot on the brakes.” – The Love Dare (pg. 62)

The shaking of my body has returned with new intensity. In a single moment I feel like my husband has become my enemy and we've entered the battle zone. Jesus says “love your enemies” in Matthew 5:44. My husband's words are cruel. But he’s not my enemy . . . he’s my husband. I understand where the anger stems from. We have been here before . . . forced to make a decision to invest thousands of dollars on a pet.

I pause and take a deep breath. In that breath I experience the presence of the Holy Spirit within me. He comforts and guides me. With such sudden warmth what else could it be? Who else could it be? He whispers, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh words stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

He brought me wisdom needed to make the next right choice.

“Let how you are speaking be laced with love regardless of what you are saying.” (pg. 63)

The text message exchange with my husband comes to an end; not a perfect ending but a peaceful one. I leave Drake in the care of the veterinarian’s assistant after signing our way back into debt again. We had recently celebrated with high-fives through a computer screen freedom from debt. I headed home richer though. Richer for choosing God’s kind of love. For “love is not a fight, but it is always worth fighting for” (pg. 63).

An hour later the veterinarian who would perform Drake’s surgery calls me. I will skip over the details and go straight to the good stuff. She called with an offer to reduce the cost of the surgery by nine-hundred dollars. A blessing from God? Oh, yes indeed.

Drake is home recovering. More importantly, my relationship with my husband continues to grow deeper and deeper. Because when love steps in, it changes things.

p.s. I took a different approach to my writing with this post. Let's call it stretching and exploring where God leads.

Dare #1: Love is patient

Dare #2: Love is kind

Dare #3: Love is not selfish

Dare #4: Love is thoughtful

Dare #5: Love is not rude

Dare #6: Love is not irritable

Dare #7: Love believes the best

Dare #8: Love is not jealous

Dare #9: Love makes good impressions

Dare #10: Love is unconditional

Dare #11: Love cherishes

Dare #12: Love lets the other win

Dare #13: Love fights fair

Next week: Love takes delight