God's Plan Can't Be Stopped

Dear Friend,

I've been reminded this week that if something is right, nothing can stop it from happening. Likewise if something isn't right (if God has a better plan), God won't let us make a mistake.

Several years ago, we adopted two collies. Tamlin, was named for a mythical Scottish knight. His handsome black coat and doting manner matched his namesake. Pippi, is light brown and white with black highlights; she could audition for Lassie. Her perkiness matches Pippi Long Stocking, the storybook character for which she is named. We got the dogs from a breeder who lives 11 hours away; gratefully she agreed to drive and meet us part way with the dogs. She is a musician with a busy performance schedule, but we managed to find one day in December which would work for both of our calendars. The day before we were to leave to get the dogs, there was still a lot to do. We were having trouble finding two dog crates that would sit side by side in the back of our car for the dogs to travel in. My dear mom, who had an absolute faith in God to take care of every single one of life’s details, spent the day praying for our trip. Late that night she called to say she wasn’t feeling well and asked if I could come to her house. As I cared for her throughout the night, she assured me that she wanted us to proceed with plans to get the dogs and suggested several options for her care; however, as morning dawned she unexpectedly passed away. As I prayed about what to do, the thought came to me very clearly that “Mom would want us to go get the dogs.” At first this seemed impossible, but I remembered Mom’s prayers. Trusting God to guide us step by step, we were able to make the necessary immediate arrangements for Mom’s affairs, found crates that fit in the car , and left for our trip late in the afternoon. Welcoming the dogs to our family, loving them and helping them get settled, was the perfect balm for healing grief over Mom’s passing. God's timing was perfect--a precious reminder that nothing, not even death, can separate us from the love of God.

The following fall, our children decided it was time to have cats again too. I wasn’t too sure about the idea (especially their request for kittens), but I try never to make a decision based on fear of lack…lack of time, lack of patience, money or love. I know God supplies everyone with infinite good, an idea that was reinforced in our lives by Tamlin and Pippi. So, we gathered up two small pet taxis and headed to a pet adoption center which we had previously visited. It seemed pretty certain that we’d be coming home with at least one cat, maybe two. As we were leaving our house, I prayed part of the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done,” and trustingly left the outcome of our journey in God’s hands.

It didn’t take us long to pick out two darling kittens and complete the paperwork for adoption. Everything seemed to be going smoothly when the manager unexpectedly pulled my husband and me aside. The teenage girl who had showed us available cats and kittens on our previous visit had questioned whether Heidi and Lincoln (at the time vivacious 10 and 6-year olds) were calm and careful enough to have kittens, and the owner wasn’t sure about how grown cats would fit in with our dogs. While we didn’t necessarily agree with his reasoning, we left catless accompanied by a torrent of tears and objections from the kids.

As I prayed about Heidi'a and Lincoln’s disappointment, I refused to believe that God would allow our family to be deprived of anything good. I also made an effort to look for and appreciate all the good qualities (the love, gentleness, calmness) already being expressed by each family member. A few weeks later, our daughter saw an ad on a bulletin board at school for two grown cats. The cats were used to dogs and kids and were free to a good home. We adopted Toya and Piko, and within a few days they were perfectly settled into our family.

A favorite hymn says, "(God) knows the angels that you need, and sends them to your side, to comfort, guard and guide." We definitiely have angels living at our house, but they don’t have wings and halos. They have fur and long tails and their “Hallelujahs” sound more like “woofs” or “meows.” I call them angels because the stories of how they joined our family and their unending affection have taught me so much about God’s love and continually remind me of His ever-present guidance, and care.

Thanks for letting me share a few more pet stories!

Hugs,
Maria

Postscripts: I love in the Bible how a "great fish" had a key role to play in helping Jonah learn that God's plan can't be stopped, and Baalam's donkey wouldn't walk past the angel sent to keep Baalam from cursing Balak's enemies (see Numbers 22).