Lost and Found

By Julie Wiley

Spring is so close. In only a few short weeks, Easter will be here! Every year at this time, I can't help but think of my precious furry friends who are no longer with us. They each had such amazing personalities - how could I ever forget them? Our furry friends were part of the family. They had their favorite places around our home, and they always seemed so content. I miss their presence so much!

I recall the time one of our furry friends went missing. Sappy, our 6-pound, longhaired Chihuahua accidentally slipped out of our home.

One day my husband and I were doing some spring cleaning in the garage. I noticed Sappy wasn't in his normal place - our bedroom. I started calling out his name, "Sappy! Sappy! Sappy, where are you?" I started to panic and cry. I ran back to the garage and told my husband that Sappy was missing. He's always the calm one. He said, "He's got to be around the house ... let's look for him. Stop crying! We will find him." We searched for more than an hour. We even looked outside and drove around the block several times. My heart felt as if it jumped out of my chest. I was so overwhelmed with fear that I would never see him again.

But then, my husband yelled out, "I found him. I found him." I ran to him, and there he was sitting on the front porch, next to a pot of ivy. He stared at me with gladness, as he wagged his tail with relief. I think he was trying to say, "Mama, I was always here but you didn't look close enough." In my desperation, I probably didn't look close enough. He was probably sitting there the entire time. He never barked because he was a quiet soul. He was bashful and extremely serious. He reminded me of a little professor. My furry friend was probably thinking, "Geez, she needs to trust God more! I can't believe how scared she's getting. I'm here sitting on the porch waiting for her to let me inside, and instead, she's running all over the neighborhood like a crazy person!"

You see, Sappy was an indoor dog. I never thought he'd get out of the house, but he must've accidentally got out when he was following one of us. We made several trips to the car, as we were bringing boxes into the garage to use for our spring cleaning. When our eyes met at the porch, it was one of the happiest days of my life. We were reunited and all my fears were put to rest. I had found my precious little Sappy. Happy ending.

As we approach Resurrection Sunday, let's reflect on the love, mercy and grace God has so richly blessed us with in His son Jesus Christ. We serve a God who is never out of reach or lost. Instead, He's always ready to show us the way! Because the truth is, we are the ones who often get lost. But, unlike Sappy, who wanted to be found by his master, some of us aren't as eager to be found until we are in deep trouble. Don't wait until trouble comes your way, seek God's kingdom today! He's closer than you think.

In Memory of our furry friends of yesterday: Sappy, Roscoe, Muffin, Gracie, Barney, Chilita, Curly I, Curly II, Brownie, Bubbles, Abbey, Scoobey, Whitey, Blacky and Lucky.

The SAPPY Pet Loss & Grief Support Group gathers on the 4th Tuesday of each month, 6:30 p.m., The English Tea Shoppe, 6877 Bandera Rd., San Antonio, TX 78238 (in Leon Valley). Call 210-216-0920 for more information.

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