10 years ago I was on a quest. I had lost my previous beautiful, smart, awesome little Sheltie to cancer. Her death devastated me. I know. That's a very dramatic word when speaking about an animal. But, that's how I felt. I literally grieved her death. I loved that dog and really all others that came before her. I am a dog person, that's for sure. And so, the quest began to find a new puppy--I needed a dog, ASAP!
It started with me praying for the perfect puppy. I knew that I wanted another Sheltie, a sable, and a female. After finding just the right breeder, off we went to view the new litter. I was so excited, for by then I had gone a year without a dog--a long lonely horrible year. As we pulled into the driveway I felt my excitement begin to build. My new puppy is in there I thought, just waiting to meet me.
To put a lover of dogs in the middle of 2 litters of puppies (yes, I found out there were 2) is a dream come true. I sat on the ground with warm wriggly bodies dancing all about me. Licking, squirming, some even making little gurgling noises. It was awesome. And then there she was, the cutest little thing ever. I picked her up and she snuggled in, her little nose tucked itself right under my chin and she remained there for the duration of my visit.
In my heart and mind, she was the only puppy I wanted from that moment on. She was mine and I was hers. Period. It was a done deal. We belonged together. However, there was a problem. She had already been sold. Someone had come along that very morning and put a deposit on her. She belonged to someone else. Someone other than me.
Well, if you know me at all, little hiccups like that don't stop me. So, I did what I knew in my heart to do. I began to pray. I sat holding my puppy, while she kept her nose tucked under my chin and there we sat for the better part of an hour--holding each other, praying, waiting for God to begin our future together. I knew in my heart of hearts that I would not be leaving without her. I knew that she was mine. No matter what. She was my dog.
Something strange happened then. The breeder's adult daughter came driving up out of the blue and joined us. We all sat chit-chatting for a bit when she looked over at her mother (the dog breeder) and said bluntly--mom, that's her dog. You need to call the other buyers and explain the situation. I sat there stunned--not saying a word, just praying. And she did just that. She got up and called the other buyer and when she was off the phone, she looked at me and said--yep, she's your dog now. And our lives together began.
She chose me that day. When I bent down to pick her up, when I brought her up to my neck, when she snuggled under my chin--she chose me. It was an obvious choice, a match between a human and a dog. I'll never forget that morning, 10 years ago, when I was chosen by a Sheltie. To bring her home, to be her mom, to take care of her, to train her and teach her, love her and protect her, she was all mine. And I was all hers.
It's funny what dogs teach us, we usually have it all backward don't we?
I wonder sometimes if it was just that simple when God chose me.
