God Cares About You…Even The Dog

Today I had to go pick up feed for my chickens. On the way to the feed mill, I had the thought that I should come home on the “back” roads.

I turned on the road that takes me to the “back” roads (roads through the country side), and was thinking and reflecting. I was thinking about this week ahead and preparation needed for the coming weekend. I was reflecting about this past weekend and how great it was. As I'm driving, I see a dog jogging down the center of the double yellow line towards me. I pass the dog and say to myself, I've not seen that dog out here before.

As I turn on the next “back” road, it dawns on me, that looked like the dog in the flyer on the dining table. Let me give you the backstory to the flyer. I come home Sunday afternoon from church and see a flyer laying on the table. I ask my wife, Kris, about it. She said some people stopped in the driveway and gave it to them as they were getting out of the van. The family was offering a reward to anyone who finds their dog Buddy.

As it dawns on me that this dog may be that missing dog, I call Kris to look at the flyer as I describe the dog I just seen. She says she's going to call the number and I decide to turn around and see if this is the description of this dog.

I turn around to go see if I can get a better look of the dog. I drive up and down that “back” road several times and cannot see the dog anywhere. There are fields of corn, soybeans, and hayfields. There are a few houses and old barns, but there is no dog anywhere!

Kris calls and says the guy is on the way. I tell her, the dogs not here. I've whistled, I've called its name, and no dog. She gives me his number to call. I call him and tell him approximately where I seen the dog and I'm on the way back through the area again.

As I am driving toward where I had seen this dog, I see the man coming the other way. He stops and climbs in the back of his truck to look for the dog. As I approach where he's parked I see the dog laying at the corner of an old barn. I stopped and wave at the guy. As he gets in his truck to pull closer to where I'm at, I get out to call the dog by name. It's Buddy!!!! But he's ready to jump and run away from this stranger who calls his name.

The gentleman gets out of his truck and says, “hey Buddy is that you?” As Buddy leaps up to run to his owner, the guy says excitedly to me, “It's Buddy!!” The reunion was amazing! The man falls to his knees to catch him, and his best friend runs into his arms to excitedly lick him.

The gentleman picks Buddy up and carries him to the truck to put him inside. I open the door for him and he is thanking me repeatedly. He puts Buddy in the truck and reaches in his pocket. He's pulling out the reward money, crying and thanking me. I told him he can keep the money, I'm just glad to be able to help. He insist on at least buying dinner for my family.

He is very emotional and thankful for the return of his dog to him. I tell him, I don't normally go that way when going home, but felt like I was suppose to today. I said to him, God cares enough about you to lead me here to find your dog. He says Buddy has been missing for over a week and now he's home! Thank you for listening to God's leading.

As we leave, I'm rejoicing and thanking God for ordering my steps today. I return home the way I normally would, on the main road, because my obedience had been rewarded and fulfilled.

A little later, he sends a picture and the following statement: THANK YOU, I can't thank you enough. He's been missing since July 3. God Bless you guys, you have made our family whole again.

May we all be reminded today, God cares, even about the dog!