His Name Is Jack

It was Sunday afternoon when my mother and I came across a thrown away puppy.  He was about 5 months old, a black lab.  He had been abandoned and was sitting next to a fence gate; a look of confusion on his face, but he immediately responded to our coaxing voices, letting us stroke him and pick him up.

I knew we couldn’t keep him for so many reasons, but my heart loved him the moment I saw him.  We took him to our place with the goal of finding him a home.  The little dog was so happy.  We gave him food and water which he gratefully devoured and drank.  He followed me everywhere I went,  rolling on the ground in playful antics, absolute trust and happiness shining from his eyes.  It was so touching the way he responded to the love my mother and I gave him.

Through the help of a dear friend who volunteers for Animal Tails Rescue in Luverne, Alabama, we were able to take this little one to them.  They are wonderful in finding forever homes for our furry friends who need our help.  If anyone is looking for a place to volunteer or to donate to a worthy cause, Animal Tails Rescue, a no-kill place of refuge, is most deserving.

It was so hard to let this little one go, and I had only known him for eighteen hours.   He clung to the car seat as I lifted him out, as if he knew I was giving him away.  I felt like I was betraying his trust.  My head was hurting from tears that wanted to burst forth but I determined to be brave. The helper who took him from me spoke soothing words and held him close.   That scene was sweet relief, knowing he would be cared for, but it did little to ease away the pain of my breaking heart.

As the hours passed, I thought of how quickly I had fallen in love with that little, lost dog. I began to compare it with how much you and I are loved by our heavenly Father. We, too, are lost without Him, like a stray pup longing for a home, hoping for a way out of our dismal situations.  Father God has loved us from the moment we entered into this world. When we come to Him with all our fears and worries, He cares — and — He always has a plan for us; a very good plan filled with hope and a good end.

God loves everything He has made.  He loves us more than we could possibly measure.  God loves the animals beyond what many realize.  Sadly, there are those who do not accept God’s animal love, even though it is plainly taught throughout Scripture; “The godly will care for their animals, while the wicked are cruel to them.”  Proverbs 12:10.   I also love the verse in Matthew 10:29 that reads, “What is the price of two sparrows — a penny?  But not a single sparrow will fall to the ground without your heavenly Father knowing it.”  God loves every living creature He has made.  He knows and cares when any animal suffers or dies.  He loves them so much that He has made us the animal’s caretakers.

Father God loves us even more.  From the very moment we are conceived, Father God is forever in love with us.  He cares about our suffering and about what makes us happy.  Our creator God loves us now, has loved us from the beginning, and will love us forever.  Father knows our names and everything about us.

Neither my mother or I slept very well Monday night.  Throughout Tuesday, tears kept jumping into my eyes.  In the late afternoon I commented to my mother about how much I was missing that little puppy.  Mom said the same thing.  We stared at each other for only a moment before agreeing together — let’s go get him!

We’ve had to reorganize things a bit because we have an older, rather ferocious dog, who doesn’t have the same sentiments toward our newest family member as we do.  Even so, we have found a way to accommodate them both, making them each know how much they mean to us.  It seemed impossible, but we made a way for this little lost pup,  reflecting how God does the very same thing for each of us, turning the unreachable into everything achievable.