Has there ever been a time you had a desire too intense to verbalize? “That would be nice,” you wonder to yourself. However, the prayer was never uttered because it seemed too insignificant to bother God. But God cares about the little things in our lives. Today, I wanted to share a story that proves just that.
Months after moving into my house, I wanted a dog. It would be nice to have a companion in the house with me. We could go on car rides to the park or play catch in the backyard. I’ve had dogs in the past and enjoyed them. This time, I wanted a specific breed. After doing research and hearing good things from friends, I decided on a golden retriever. I found myself particularly drawn to the reddish colored ones. Their coat color is absolutely beautiful in the sunlight! So, I began researching different breeders near my city.
During that time, my work schedule was extremely hectic. I was working a minimum of 12 hours a day. This was not the sort of environment for a puppy. They need care almost every 2-4 hours, very much like a baby. Therefore, the logical option was to adopt an older dog and preferably one that was already house trained. I figured a dog that was two years old would be the perfect age. So, the search began for a two-year-old, male red golden retriever.
Needless to say, it was a very specific dog search for adoption. Golden retrievers are such great breeds, they are rarely put up for adoption. So, I decided to simply settle for any house-trained dog. One night, I found a super cute dog. Currently, he was staying with a host family to help him acclimate to living with people again. My sister and I went to visit the dog. Unfortunately, he was extremely skittish. His previous owner was abusive, and he was very apprehensive towards strangers. Sad, I left thinking I would never find a dog. That night, I flipped through website after site. Finally, I decided to stop looking for now and try again some days later. I heard a voice say, “Just wait for the dog you want.” In response I thought, “But that’s impossible. I’ll never find one. There are no goldens for adoption.” Again, I heard the voice say, “Just wait.”
After a few days, I felt compelled to check the Pitt County Dog Shelter in Greenville. I had only checked their site a few times. They usually had pit bulls and the website wasn’t user friendly on my cellphone. That night, I saw a newly posted dog. It had been on the site only a few hours! The dog was a two-year-old, male reddish golden retriever. I called the next day (since it was late) asking if I could come meet the dog. I was told he wasn’t available to adopt for another three days. Fortunately, I could visit him in the meantime. As the story goes, he kept getting out of his yard repeatedly. The owner had to pay a fee each time he ran away. They were given three days to reclaim the dog after being picked up by the pound. This time they said they didn’t want him back. So, I went to the pound and immediately fell in love. He was house trained and energetic. The best dog ever!
God is always reminding me that He cares…even about something as small as wanting a specific type of dog. Don’t you think He cares about the big things too? God’s no respecter of persons. He cares about what’s important to you too!
Scripture Reference: Psalms 37:23 (NLT) “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.”
Comments