Dog Gone Surprises

The title says it all. Our dogs took off again this weekend. We were all having fun in the back yard on Saturday when the lawn guy showed up to do his thing. We cleared on into the house and began the nightly routine of shuffling the kids to bed. We had already fed the dogs so they were set for the night. Our lawn guy finished and took off. He didn't come to the door to collect his money. That was a bit strange. Maybe he had some place to be. Sunday morning rolled around, and we were pressed for time. Our schedule was different today because I had nursery duty in the second service so we were in two cars. When I got home, David was grilling lunch and the kids were playing. No one was paying attention to the sleeping dogs because you can't when you're watching both kids by yourself. Later in the day we took out the garbage and found that the dogs were gone. How long, we don't know. I hopped in the car - not pleased to be looking for them AGAIN. I was mad at Matty. I was mad at the lawn guy (probably for no reason). I was mad that I wasn't heartbroken that they were gone. By the time I got back home it was too late to get signs. I posted a lost and found for them on the neighborhood web site and we headed off to bed frustrated. Monday I got up and went about the business of finding lost dogs. I put out some signs and within an hour we had the dogs back! That was a great surprise in this whole surprise me experiment. Thank goodness God concerns Himself with the little things!

Maria Chapman

I have been so sad about the Chapman's loss of their little girl.  I went to a blog that is set up for her and watched some video footage that was taken on a recent vacation and at home.  breaks my heart.  I tried to post this poem on their blog, but for some reason it didn't go thru.  So I thought I'd post it here.  

I've used this format for several poems.  It comes from a story that I heard from a Sunday School teacher a long time ago.  She told how her little 6 year old daughter was killed in a car wreck and how her husband, at the funeral said that even if God had said, "you can have this little girl for only 6 years" he still would have said yes.  That stuck with me all this time.  I have written several poems for my own kids and others using that phrase...."I would have said yes".  Not because they died, but just thru the hurdles we all go thru with our kids.  What if God told us about those before he gave us those children, would we have still said yes?  hmmm???  Anyway, here's the poem for Maria Chapman

I WOULD HAVE SAID YES!

Looking back

on 5 short years

Thru all the joys

And all the tears

I thought about

How life might’ve been

Had God not brought you

To us back then,

My reflections of

All the “what ifs….”

Filled my mind

With thoughts of this….

What if God asked

Our permission

To give us this child

he had envisioned

To be our child

To have and hold

To teach his ways

As they grow old

If God had said,

“knowing your child

as you know her

would you have said “yes”

If I had conferred?

If God had said

I’ve got a girl

Who came from 2 people

Somewhere in the world

Though not from your womb

But still from my hand

Do you want her to love

Do you think that you can

Love her so much

There’ll be no division

Between those you’ve birthed

And the one you’ve been given?

Will you love her when

She jumps on the bed

splashes around

And dresses up instead

Of going to sleep

When night becomes late

Can you show her my love

While you patiently wait

For her bedtime prayers

That turn into songs

And you’re tired

but you stay

cause it’s where you belong

And when she is five

And outside to play

As I’m watching and knowing

That this is the day

That she’ll come home

Just as I planned

Do you still want her

For such a short span

Yes, God,

you know what’s best

If  that is the cost

I would still say yes

Knowing Maria

For such a short time

was still worth it all

to watch her light shine

and even though

we cry with pain

We know  in our hearts

Maria remains.

Yes, Maria, we would have said “yes”.

 

 

Even Job knew about surprises

For God speaks again and again though people do not recognize it.  Job 33:14