PEANUT AND THE LAMB
My roommate Jane took a
shortcut down the alleyway behind the paint store and found a little dog. His
ribs were showing, and he was shaking. She stopped her car and got out to see
if the dog would come to her. Instead, he crawled under her car. That’s when
she called me.
She says I know dog talk
and animals will come to me, so I got some dog food and water, and off I went.
We both sat down on the cement in the alleyway and talked to the little dog
quietly and offered him nourishment. He would take a small drink and a bite of
food, then run back a ways, tail between his legs, and just look at us.
Finally, after a half an
hour of coaxing, he still wouldn’t come, so we called Animal Control because we
didn’t know what else to do. But when we started toward our cars, the little
guy sensed it was his last chance. He ran over and jumped into Jane’s arms.
Then I put him in the front seat of my car, and he snuggled up under my arm.
About that time a guy came
down the alley. We told him what happened, and that we couldn’t keep the dog because
of our aging cat, Snickers. He told us his name was Tony and said his landlady
recently lost her dog and was looking for another. Tony thought our little
alley dog would be perfect, so we made the arrangements in case we didn’t find
the real owner.
Jane put up 40 signs to
try to find the dog’s owner. We waited a week, and when no one called, we
called Tony back and took the little one over. The dog stayed one night before
we got a phone call saying they couldn’t keep him. It seems the landlady had
territorial parrots that wanted nothing to do with a little dog. So, back he
came to our house.
We called some friends
associated with dog rescue groups, and they found two people who said they wanted
the little guy. After the third week, they backed out, and now he’s ours. We
bought him a bright blue collar and some toys and named him Peanut. He loves to
eat and is filling out nicely. We took him to a nearby vet and found out that
Peanut had his “peanuts,” so we got him fixed, and now he and Snickers the cat,
eat together and even play together.
This experience reminded
me of the story Jesus told about the lost lamb:
Luke
15:3-7 “And he spake this parable unto them, saying, ‘What man
of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the
ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find
it?
‘And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his
shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends
and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep
which was lost.
‘I say unto you, that likewise, joy shall be in heaven
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons,
which need no repentance.’”
God loves
every single one of us and doesn’t want anyone left alone and afraid. “Are not
five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before
God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore:
ye are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:6-7).
John 3:16
tells us, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We took compassion on this
little dog, looked after him, and are giving him a great home. How much more
compassion does God have for us and for all those who He finds in the alleys of
life, emaciated and scared and just looking for the right home?
Love, Carolyn
QUESTIONS AND EASY
CHALLENGES
1. Have you ever taken in
any stray animals? How did you treat them?
2. When animals are
afraid, how do you talk to them? Do you think some people are afraid of Jesus?
3. Where does it say God
hasn’t forgotten even one sparrow?
4. What does it mean to
you that God knows every hair of your head?
5. Cite a verse that tells
us something about God’s love for us.
YOU’LL LOVE READING ONE OF MY BOOKS:
USER-FRIENDLY
BIBLE PRINCIPLES FOR EVERYDAY LIVING: real-life stories of how GOD works to make ordinary
life extraordinary.
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