Dancing with Simplicity

Simple Living, Walking by Faith
You are currently browsing the Dancing with Simplicity archives for August 2016

And God Sent Mindy: Lessons From a Rescue Dog

  • August 1, 2016 9:56 am
untitled

Mindy, the Heaven sent Bichon Frise

And God Sent a Mindy…

Matthew 6:8- (NASB77)
8  for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.

.

It’s been said that sometimes God doesn’t give you what you want; He gives you what you need. Such was the case in March 2010, when a scraggly puppy entered our world. Mindy came from an animal rescue. In her scrawny, disheveled state, she was what my husband wanted, but not the right dog to fill the hole in my heart. It was bleeding from a massive hole created by the recent death of our Golden Retriever Boris. The rescue could not deliver us a Golden, so they sent us Mindy. Or God did.

She was a curly little mutt. A real mess. (It wasn’t until later, that we determined she might be a Bichon Frise.) It wasn’t too long after her arrival that Mindy became sick. A little cough moved her from the Golden I wanted, to the pup I needed. A cough contracted from life in the shelter. I was beside myself until I knew she was going to recover. Yes, she was becoming what I needed to heal. All five pounds of her. She was in fact, what the whole family needed. She infused joy back into our home. She delighted everyone including two cats and our other Golden, Morgan.

This was our first little dog and we quickly learned that she could get into places we could not. She liked to hide under the bed, beneath the couch, under the table. Taking her to the vet was a challenge. We had to lift the sofa to force her out, or stand guarding either side of our bed in hope that she would exit and we could scoop her up. The only thing we found that sent her directly into our arms was a big bath towel. With every storm, her fur wet and muddy, she would readily walk into a waiting towel. Security. Rest. Comfort. To this day, it remains our solution for her sassy or fearful, hide- under- the-furniture state. Love replaces her fear.

The Christian life is like that. We hide in spots where no one can touch us. Physically. Mentally. We cower, rebel, or refuse to budge. And God waits to catch us with open arms. Sometimes He will lift us out of our hiding places. He moves walls to shake us loose from our stubborn stance, isolation, fear. Often He waits patiently for us to make the move, to step out into the light. And when we are in life’s storms, He is there to wrap us in that blanket of security, rest, love.

Though Mindy was not what I wanted, she has long since proved she was what I needed. To heal from the loss of a noble Golden. To demonstrate how God stands waiting for me. No doubt when He sees the pup He sent, He smiles. Just as we do, day after day with Mindy. Joy bestowed. Lessons learned.

Has a rescue dog or cat changed your life for the better? I’d love to hear about it! I believe God hand picks our pets.