Day 292 - Get a Pet

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Get a Pet Day 292 Statistics show that people who have a pet to care for live longer and have fewer health problems. Get a pet. It will become a new area of emotional investment. "I came home with two schnauzers," says Bruce, whose wife died, "and they have been really good. They've been a lot of work, but I hope that they're learning as much as I am. We're good friends now, and they've helped through the loneliness. They give me something other than pictures and things to talk to. I tell them about my wife." If you haven't visited a pet store lately, you might be surprised at the variety of animals you can have as pets. Perhaps you aren't a dog or cat person; consider having a rabbit, a lizard, a hamster, or a fish. A pet provides companionship and someone to talk to. (Pets are excellent listeners.) Pick a pet that fits your lifestyle because pets are a responsibility-, but are usually worth the effort! You might also consider visiting your local animal shelter or dog pound. They are always looking for loving homes for their animals. Pets are not specifically mentioned in the Bible, but it does say, "A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal" (Proverbs 12:10). You may already have a pet. If not, would you pray the following prayer? Lord, please help me find an animal to take care of. Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755