There was a phone number on the glass pane of the church 

It said to call for assistance 

I was feeling hurt in my existence, and a little appalled 

So I pulled out my phone and called 

There was no answer 

On a cloudy Monday afternoon 

Not even to voicemail did my call go through 

The temperature dropped as I stood with my dog outside of Grace 

Just a few days after Christmas, no one was outside the place 

All the leaves of the trees had fallen 

The parking lot was empty 

I don’t know if it was the yellow bulbs at the edge of the roof or the sun’s rays that halfheartedly poked through 

Maybe it was my dog’s paw on my lap 

It’s like he could read my mind

His big brown eyes said, “Don’t worry about that”

As the sun lowered, so did the temperature 

Strangely enough, my spirit lifted 

My pup and I sat just outside the church and watched the clouds race by 

I wanted to ask the church assistance number why we die

And a million other things 

I watched my dog as he had his head tilted up at the sky 

Under the stars and clouds with him, I felt alright 

Winter lies ahead

My old friendships from my 20s are half dead 

I’m at the top of a roller coaster’s hill 

Reality is a tough-to-swallow pill 

My stomach is on the verge of dropping 

Time and history, Death – are never stopping

My faith sometimes looks like the dark bulb at the end of the string 

My pup put his head on my lap 

On a cold night, outside the church building

I ponder that 

Oh to know the width, height, and depth of God’s love 

I’m grateful for my pup 

He is my assistance