My morning started off in a less than favorable way. After being awakened by my lab, Cocoa, I groggily got up at 5:50 this morning to let out the dogs. About 5 minutes later, when I opened the back door to let them, 2 eagerly came running and 1 was missing. I stepped out onto the deck and began to call for Beau. No movement, no sound. Not good. Especially after remembering that there is a spot by our gate where a small dog can easily squeeze through.
Beau is Casie's dog, a sweet rescue dog that she got from the Animal Shelter. Beau had been rescued from an animal hoarding situation, and we all fell in love with him. The intention was for Beau to be living with Casie in her apartment in Conway, but new management moved in, and pets are no longer allowed. Hence, Beau is staying with me (his doggy grandmom) for the time being.
Cutting to the chase..Beau was found. But not until after I had climbed into my car with pjs, slippers, a really bad case of bedhead, and doggie treats to entice Beau should I find him wandering the neighborhood. I drove all around our streets, windows down, calling out his name. It wasn't until I pulled back into our driveway, worried and plotting a new strategy that I saw Beau, standing on the side of our house, barking at our gate hoping to get back in. I'm not sure where he had been hiding, but I was certainly glad he was back.
After my search, worry, and relief and joy in having found Beau...I began to think. I thought about how many times God has sought me out when I have gone AWOL. I thought about my relationships with others....do I search for them, seeking them out if they have taken a step backwards or have theoretically "run away" or have "hidden" from our friendship? Or am I too busy, neglectful, or just assuming that they will "return" when they are ready? How guilty am I of taking relationships for granted?
Maybe Beau wasn't running away. Maybe he was just on a stroll through the neighborhood to see what was going on. But if I can jump in my car with bedhead and pj's, searching for a dog...surely I can take the time to continually seek out my Savior, and to make sure that I am cognizant of what is going on in my family members' and my friends' lives. So, I've been reflective all day long...thinking about my role in relationships.
So if we haven't talked in awhile, don't be surprised if one morning you get an early phone call or hear a knock on your door and find me standing in pj's, with bedhead and a cup of coffee.
Cutting to the chase..Beau was found. But not until after I had climbed into my car with pjs, slippers, a really bad case of bedhead, and doggie treats to entice Beau should I find him wandering the neighborhood. I drove all around our streets, windows down, calling out his name. It wasn't until I pulled back into our driveway, worried and plotting a new strategy that I saw Beau, standing on the side of our house, barking at our gate hoping to get back in. I'm not sure where he had been hiding, but I was certainly glad he was back.
After my search, worry, and relief and joy in having found Beau...I began to think. I thought about how many times God has sought me out when I have gone AWOL. I thought about my relationships with others....do I search for them, seeking them out if they have taken a step backwards or have theoretically "run away" or have "hidden" from our friendship? Or am I too busy, neglectful, or just assuming that they will "return" when they are ready? How guilty am I of taking relationships for granted?
Maybe Beau wasn't running away. Maybe he was just on a stroll through the neighborhood to see what was going on. But if I can jump in my car with bedhead and pj's, searching for a dog...surely I can take the time to continually seek out my Savior, and to make sure that I am cognizant of what is going on in my family members' and my friends' lives. So, I've been reflective all day long...thinking about my role in relationships.
So if we haven't talked in awhile, don't be surprised if one morning you get an early phone call or hear a knock on your door and find me standing in pj's, with bedhead and a cup of coffee.
