Buddy’s Unexpected Visit

“What is God doing in your life?”  “What do you think he’s trying to teach you?”  These are the questions my husband is asking about the sudden appearance of “Buddy” in my life.

Who is Buddy you might be wondering?  Well, Buddy is a little dog I found wandering the streets after the rain last Thursday.  Now, I’m not one to pick up strays.  I’m usually not even one to pet a dog whose owner I don’t know.

So how did Buddy end up with me?

I was driving home from a Holy Week service at church, when I noticed a little dog walking along the street.  He arrested my attention because, well, he had a mohawk! Then, I noticed that no one was on the street with him.  I kept driving, but watching my rear-view mirror.  When I saw him cross the busy street, I thought, “This is a recipe for disaster, this poor dog is going to get killed crossing this street.”

My heart went out to him, and so I stopped.  I turned around and went to see if he had a collar or someone looking for him.  He did have a collar, a nice mohawk (as I mentioned), and was well-groomed.  He was super friendly and jumped right into my car.  Sadly there were no tags on his collar, so I thought I would take him to the vet to see if he had a microchip in him.

Two vets later, no chip was found, and no one recognized him.  I went home to post a “found” dog notice on craigslist.  The vet also made some “found” signs to post on electricity poles, so I returned to where I found him to start hanging them.  I was surprised that no one was looking for him.

I honestly thought I was going to help get him back to his owner.  Friday, I hit the pavement, walking the neighborhood for two hours hoping someone would recognize him (I mean, he has a mohawk for crying out loud!)  I went to all the apartments and hunted down every lead.  I was anxious to help the little guy get back home.

My husband kept saying God had put Buddy in my life to teach me something.

Well, three days later, after a nice bath, Buddy is starting to settle in.  I’m not sure what is going to happen to him, but I know he won’t end up in a shelter.

Although I don’t think everything in life is sent from God to teach us a lesson,  I do know that God works in and through our circumstances.  The truth is, just that day, I was extremely stressed about getting all my work done and had left the house in a “huff.”

I have had to learn patience with this dog, especially during the enthusiastic humping of his bed and a towel.  I have had to step back, slow down, modify my schedule, really pray about finding his home, and show him love in the midst of his own crisis.

I am thankful that I have been able to spend time with Buddy, while searching for his owners.  I still hope to find them.

I know God is at work in Buddy’s appearance in my life.  I thank God for the small blessings and the reminders that my time is his and not my own.

Has a recent disturbance in your schedule made you stop and think about how you spend your time?  What have you been learning?

—Update!  Buddy’s owners saw one of the posted “found” signs last night, and he has been reunited with them this Monday morning.  Praise God for an answered prayer—