The Prayers Of Faith Will Restore
We sat on cold metal chairs in a white room, leaning against a cold metal examining table...waiting. Our beautiful dog Sabrina had been hurried to the back of the emergency clinic without us. She was in danger and distress. Her first puppy was stuck.
We are cottage breeders. That means that we work from home and have 1-2 litters a year. Our females live with us their whole lives; they are our dogs first and foremost. They can give us 3-5 litters in their lifetime, usually one a year. This year was the final litter for our Sabrina. She was 5 years old, had given us 3 other beautiful litters, and was ready to just be our dog. Little did we know that this 4th litter would nearly be the end of her.
A (very) young vet assistant came into the room. She began asking us the same questions I had already answered twice before; once over the phone and again when we checked in. Our dog began labor at 11AM. We estimated by the amount of fluid that at least 2 amniotic sacks broke at 7:04PM. At 9:00PM there was still no puppy so we sought medical help at our closest vet emergency clinic. They were unable to take any more animals so they sent us here, 25 minutes away. It was now nearly 10:00PM and at least one puppy was without protection and possibly oxygen for nearly 3 hours and our poor mamma dog was frightened and in pain. I found myself getting very agitated and curt with this young assistant. My husband gave my knee a gentle squeeze.
My husband and I began this journey of dog breeding nearly 15 years ago. It was all because of an amazing goldendoodle we called Sasha. We had both owned dogs our entire lives, but this one was special. It wasn’t just her temperament and intelligence, but the way that she connected with us. And, not just us, but everyone she came into contact with. If you are a doodle owner you need no further explanation. We decided to try our hand at making more of her and then raising her puppies in a way that would make them dogs that connected and served people the same way that she did. The dream became a delightful reality and now we were on litter number 6.
The doctor finally came in. He had good news, bad news, more bad news…and some good news. We were right for bringing her in when we did. He agreed with our assessment, there was a stuck puppy (good news sort of). However, the puppy was so far back that he was unable to manipulate it and her tired uterus was completely unresponsive to stimulation. He called it “uterine inertia”. He was almost certain that she would need surgery (bad news). He could try inducing labor with medication, but he would first have to x-ray her to see if it was even possible to push the puppy through. He would also need to do blood work to see if she would be able to handle the additional trauma. Labor induction is very painful (more bad news). However, he was happy to report the puppies, at least those who were not stuck, were not in distress (good news). We understood that the first puppy would probably not survive.
And so we were left alone in the cold white room on our metal chairs. I have always acted as a midwife for our puppy births. Delivery is a messy chaotic business. Although Sabrina is clearly my husband’s dog, all of our females create a special bond with me during their pregnancy and whelping. Now our Sabrina was in a strange place all alone. My mind started to race. I darted between my inability to comfort her and the implications of hand-raising a litter of pups if they survived. An internal storm swept me off my feet and I couldn’t find the bottom. I held my breath and reached out in silent prayer but found myself drowning in further panic. With a world full of pain and suffering, was it even fair to pray for a dog? This may sound like a ridiculous question, but remember, I was swimming in a state of panic. These beautiful animals, who can make Eden-like connections with us, were not “image bearers”. And yet, they show us unconditional love and serve us in ways that are often unexplainable.[1] I reached out to my faith-filled husband. “Honey, I need you to pray.”
And so he did, out loud and unhindered, thanking God for these creatures that bring us so much joy. He prayed to Jesus for the safety of our precious dog and her puppies. He prayed for a peace in my panic “that surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). He prayed that we could confidently rest in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Those prayers were answered. I immediately felt a calm in my internal storm. My feet found the bottom and I exhaled. Whatever was happening, whatever the outcome, we were not alone.
A few moments later the young assistant walked in, “Hey, it looks like she delivered one of her puppies.” My husband and I both gasped.
“It’s dead, isn’t it?” was my immediate response. I wanted her to know that we realized that under the circumstances, that was the probable outcome.
“Actually, I think it was moving around.”
Neither my husband nor I spoke. A few moments later the doctor came in. “Well,” he said, “I have no explanation. Your dog has delivered two healthy puppies who are now nursing.”
“So her uterus responded to the medication? She was able to withstand the procedure?” I tend to get technical in times of urgency.
“Actually, another emergency came in and we never had the chance to treat her. She did this on her own. Again, I have no explanation for it.”
My husband and I exchanged knowing glances.
“Now, I would suggest that you just take her home and let her give birth somewhere more comfortable. I wouldn't normally prescribe this but you two seem to know what you're doing. If something else goes wrong I'm confident you'll know when to bring her back.”
And so we bundled our poor laboring dog and her two new whelps into the car and headed home. The final outcome: eight beautiful, healthy puppies, including the first miracle puppy who is still the biggest and the strongest. Perhaps the most surprising miracle of all was the $800 refund we got from the emergency vet clinic. Now that just never happens.
My husband and I firmly believe that there is no such thing as a coincidence. During the time of our puppy births, our little church was going through the book of James. Just the week before, I led a Bible study on the second half of James chapter 5. The text reads,
and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick (weak), and the Lord will raise him up...prayer of a righteous person, when it is brought about, can accomplish much
James 5:15-16, NASB
Somehow, I seemed to remember this in my moment of panic.
This all happened two days before Thanksgiving, 2023. As I write a few weeks later we are in the heart of Christmastime. The puppies have opened their eyes and discovered their barks. Some have already been reserved and will be heading to their new homes in the middle of January. The effect of this experience is difficult to describe. It has brought me to a deeper place of knowing, experiential knowing, epiginṓskō, it would say in Koine Greek. I know even more confidently that all of this is real: the Baby, the angels, the promises, all of it. As the story tells, He came to bring healing and redemption to everyone, from nearby shepherds to far off kings…to all those who believe (John 1:12-14).
May His Spirit bring you, dear reader, to a deeper sense of knowing this holiday season. As you reflect on this year and set goals for the next, may you consider, once again, what this all means. May you know more deeply His tremendous love for you.
Merry Christmas!
Liz and Chuck Batchman
Did you know that dogs know your mood because they can hear your heartbeat? Furthermore, did you know that they will oftentimes match their heart rate to yours so that they can better empathize?
Also, When a human and a dog look into each other’s eyes, serotonin (the bonding/love hormone) is released in both the human and the dog’s brain.
