Have you ever thought you had lost a pet? It happened when we moved years ago.
Our dog, Little John Deere, was a miniature dachshund that we kept inside. One evening, my dad was helping Tim move furniture when I realized he left an outside door open. I looked around and called: “Little John!” When he didn’t come running to me, I realized he must’ve gone outside. My dad apologized. He wasn’t used to having to watch for a dog.
My heart leapt into my throat and my palms became sweaty. Immediately I ran outside and straight to the road. Since he was a housedog, he wasn’t used to cars. Thankfully, I didn’t see him there. I began calling, “Little John!” as I jogged toward the back yard. During this time, I worried about some animal or human hurting him.
I imagined us going to our new neighbor’s houses and asking if they had seen him. We would have to place pictures of him with our contact information on telephone poles. Plus, I would post about him on social media. I had all these thoughts in a matter of seconds
When I rounded the corner of the house, there Little John stood at the basement door with his nose touching it. He was probably wondering why we weren’t letting him back inside of his house.
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” Luke 15:4-5 (KJV)
This is one of my favorite passages. Why? First, because I have been that one sheep that Jesus searched for and found. Second, instead of chastising me, Jesus loved me. That last part was really driven home for me when I picked Little John up in my arms. I was so thankful the little guy was safe that I couldn’t scold him. If I can feel this relieved about our family pet, can you image the enormity of love that Christ feels when He rescues us?
I have often wondered if Little John thought, “Think I will go back home. I don’t want to have to train more humans.”
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.