Unexpected

Well, I have done it again.  I have brought another lost dog home.  I can't stop.  When I see them  I am just drawn in, like some magnetic force is pulling me.  Dogs, kids, even homeless adults, they just tug at me.  I can't get past thinking about what might happen if I don't try to help.  So here we are, with another sweet as can be lost yellow lab in our midst.  She has been here since last Tuesday and I was starting to get really sad.

We had been calling vets, posting info about her, asking around, all to no avail.  She didn't have a collar, she isn't micro chipped, and we didn't even know her name.  She has been well fed, so she obviously wasn't a stray, but there was no evidence anywhere of someone even attempting to find her or we would have discovered them... because we had been trying!

It was kind of breaking my heart.  It was starting to seem as if she is a dog that they fed, but didn't really care if she is home or not.  How can that be?  How can you have a dog that has that sweet spirit and just not care at all about what happens? Those were my thoughts the first few days.

And then I remember back to the last lost dogs I insisted my husband pull over to help.  I jumped out of the car in such a rush to try to get to them (they were on a very busy street) that I didn't hear my husband holler out, "Wait!  I think those are pit bulls!"  So there I was (without my glasses on as usual, which equals blurry beyond my nose) running towards them and calling them to me.  As they got close enough... like, you know,  as they started to circle me, I realized.  I... REALIZED!

I am not afraid of many animals, but I admit, though I know some pits are very nice, I am AFRAID of pits.  We had our dogs attacked by pits that belonged to neighbors when we lived out in the country back home.  I have heard the horror stories of others.  I know some can be nice, but I am not willing to be the Guinea pig to find out if they are or are not in the nice category!

But there I was, fully committed to the situation before I had a chance to realize.  When they approached me I stood up, heart beating to the point I could feel it in my jaw bone, and started saying in a desperate voice, "They are pits!  They are Pits!"  I am looking with pleading eyes towards the car, and am met in return by a ton of laughter from my youngest daughter, my teen son and his friend, and my adoring husband who's primary job is to protect me.  I felt so loved in that moment!

Things were sort of in slow motion at that point.  It was like I could hear myself calling out "TTTTHHHHHEEEEEYYYYYYY   AAAAAAARRRRRRREEE    PPPPPPIIIITTTTTTSSSSSSS!" and this slow roll of laughter just kept coming back to me in waves.  This went on for what was probably mere seconds, but felt like an eternity  before my husband, THROUGH HIS LAUGHTER, said "Robin, I think they are friendly!"

I started to kind of back off the main road and lured them towards a safer area, all the while feeling the THUMP, THUMP! THUMP, THUMP! THUMP, THUMP! of my heart overpowering me.  They were wagging tails and frolicking around and got distracted by some smell, then headed off on their merry way.... and for the first time ever, I was okay that I wasn't loading them in my car to find the owner. 

After I unglued my paralyzed-from-fear legs from the cement, I jumped in the car and snorted, "Well thank you all sooooo much for your concern for my safety!  THOSE WERE PIT BULLS! What in THE world was possibly funny about all of that?" 

The laughter went on for 30 minutes more....

Finally, my husband squeaked out through his tears of laughter, "I told you while you were jumping from the moving car in superwoman mode, that I thought those were pits, but you didn't hear..."

30 more minutes of laughter....

Then he says, "The look on your face when you realized...."

Yes, 30 more minutes of laughter....

"Well, I just can't even tell you!" he says.  Then goes on, "I could tell they were friendly.  The way they approached you wasn't in attack mode.  They were young pups even!"

Again, 30 more minutes of laughter.

Eventually, I got my own mental image and joined in.  I guess the saying still rings true sometimes, "If you can't beat them, join them!"

Back to the real point of this blog...

So, as I am caring for this newest lost dog, and comparing that to those two lost dogs, in some strange "how does my brain even work" way, I find myself in a spiritual lesson!

I was so upset that someone wouldn't care about this beautiful, sweet, gentle yellow lab enough to even put out a sign. How can you care for something and not care when it is lost?  She is beautiful, sweet, and has those eyes that suck you in!  She is a keeper! 

And I was so afraid, just because of the look of the other two dogs, that once I knew what kind of dogs I was trying to rescue, I never even considered trying to find their owners.  I didn't want to push them on into harms way, but they were on their own finding their way home. 

And then it hit me. That is how we all would be without God.  No matter our reputation of kindness or viciousness, it wouldn't matter in the least.  We would be on our way to hell.  Our good deeds and our sweet eyes, if not at home with our Master, would leave us lonely strays.  And no matter how many bites or attacks, if we find our Master, we can be brought home. 

That's Jesus.  The ultimate stray redeemer!  Oh goodness, I am thankful I have been found for I once was lost!   Once again, the Lord reminds and teaches me through my love of animals.  Isn't He cool?

And then it gets even sweeter....

I posted on a local communication page about the sweet yellow lab no one seemed to be missing.  I received a response from a man that said, "I think that is my daughter and son in law's dog!  She has been missing since Monday, but they have been down in Texas Children's with my granddaughter.  I was looking through sites for them trying to help!  Please let me know how they can contact you and find out if this is their Brandy."

I knew instantly, even without picture confirmation, this was in fact, Brandy.  I sat down, looked her in the eyes, and said, "Brandy, we found them."  Her tail went crazy and I knew she understood.

Later that day, I was able to talk to Brandy's owner.  He sent me the picture of Brandy and her owner, his little toddler daughter.  Brandy had the same colors, fat rolls, and sweet eyes as the picture... but I already knew it was her.

You see, I don't think it is by chance I am the one that rescued her.  God knew that family had a lot on their plate and that Brandy was feeling what dogs feel when their owners have illness and are away.  And who would better understand the stress of a sick, hospitalized child for the family, then me and my family?  God put Brandy in my path, so that I could continue to "Comfort others in the way that He has comforted me." (2 Corinthians 1:4 - my paraphrase)

As I spoke to the Daddy, I said, "May I ask, is your daughter doing ok?" He said, "Unfortunately, she is still in the hospital.  She is 2 1/2 years old and she was born with a liver disease.  Her counts are bad right now."  I didn't press any further.  I just offered what I had to offer. 

I said, "I know the stress of worry when your baby is ill.  We spent many long days in hospitals with our son from 18 months to 3 years old.  Many people, even many we didn't know, did random acts that made our lives easier in those moments.  If you would let me, I would love to keep Brandy as long as you need us to.  She is worried about her little girl and I would hate for her to go searching again.  She is doing great here with us and our dogs and it would be my honor to care for her as long as you need."

I was met, initially with silence, and then he said, "I don't even know what to say, but thank you.  That would help us so much right now."  There were tears rolling down my cheeks because I knew the sound in his voice and it said so much more to me than his words.  I told him we would be praying for his daughter's healing and we said our goodbyes until they are in a better place and back home again. 

Lord, why do babies have to suffer?  But thank you Lord that because I have been there, this man is met with an understanding heart that I wouldn't have if you hadn't brought me through that pain first.  And Lord, thank you for letting me bring Brandy home, through my irrational love and tenderness towards animals, so that I could have the honor of praying for their family.

It's been a week since Brandy left home looking.  It's been 6 days since she came here with us.  It's been since Friday since I spoke to the Daddy.  That means she is still in the hospital. 

God brought Brandy so I could seek prayer from all of you.   Please join me in praying for this precious, precious little girl fighting and unfair battle of disease of the liver.

God hears.  He works every detail out.  Including where to have a dog go to connect the right people.  My prayer is that this is only the start of how I can help them. I am asking God to use me and my family in any and all ways.  I am believing this is even bigger than what I know. 

Thank you Eathan, my sweet, sweet boy!  You have given me the ability to really know how to love the hurting, with the kindness and joy you gave all of us while you were hurting the very most!

My challenge today... where is God showing up for you?  Are you watching for the unexpected ways?  You just never know when God is presenting you with an opportunity.  I brought that dog home because selfishly, I love animals and can't stand them hurt.  God brought that dog home to me because that family needed one less stress, by knowing their beloved dog was safe. 

Isn't God cool?

Blessings to each of you!

Robin