A Prayer When Saying Goodbye to a Pet

Father, the time has come, and I'm not ready. I don't think I ever could have been.

Thank You for this animal — for every year, every walk, every winter evening, every ridiculous, joyful thing it did that became part of our family's language. This small creature loved us with its whole self, all the way to the end. That was Your kindness to us, and I know it.

Be near as we say goodbye. Let these last hours be calm and free of pain. Thank You for the vet's gentle care, and for the mercy of being able to stay close, stroking a familiar head, so the last thing this dear one knows is the people it loved.

Lord, I trust every good gift back to the Giver. You made this animal, You delighted in it, and nothing You have made is forgotten by You. That is enough for me to rest on tonight.

Comfort everyone in this house — the grown-ups who feel a little embarrassed by the size of this grief, and the children who don't yet have words for it. There is no shame in mourning a faithful friend.

Thank You, Father, for the whole gift — from the first day to this one.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this in the last days with an aging or ill pet, in the car outside the vet's office, or at home afterward when the house feels too quiet. Grief over a pet is real grief — give it the time it asks for, and let family and friends grieve with you.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast." — Psalm 36:6 (KJV)