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Authors: M. R. Wells
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this pup. The family scoured online rescue sites like desperate singles in search of a soul mate. No matches. Then it occurred to Daniel that he and his brother would soon be away at college. How would a lone puppy keep itself occupied while Dad was at work and Mom was out running errands? Daniel insisted they get two dogs to keep each other company. His mom wasn’t thrilled with double dog duty, but reluctantly agreed—with the stipulation that the duo be a boy and a girl. She believed two of the same sex would be hostile to each other.
So, two puppies who met all the specs, who would get along with each other and the family—impossible! But nothing’s impossible with God, right? Eventually, a promising prospect arose: a big litter of Australian shepherd/Jack Russell terrier mixes. There was only one problem: the dogs were in North Carolina and Daniel and his family lived in Maryland—400 miles and a seven-hour drive away.
The puppy hunters weighed the options. That much time and energy just to get a pair of dogs? It would be an overnight trip with costly gas and hotel fees. And what if, when the family finally got there, they were the wrong puppies? Their photos were cute and the owner swore they were adorable little beasts. But used car salesmen and purveyors of puppies have been known to bend the truth. What if these pups were lemons? What if the seller was hoping to unload them on a desperate out-of-town family who had just driven seven hours and spent the night in a hotel? How could they not feel obligated to buy ’em?
Doubt-ridden, Daniel went back to the Internet. Surely, there must be a brother/sister set of puppies that met their criteria closer to home. But there wasn’t. They discussed lowering their standards. Big longhairs? Two males? But this wasn’t a decision to take lightly. Not just any Spot, Shep, or Fido could fill the Grand Canyon in their hearts left by Hannah.
Daniel searched obsessively until he developed a bad case of online-dog-profile-phobia. He was in despair the right dogs would ever turn up. It was time to give up—or get going to North Carolina.
The family loaded up the van and took a drive of faith down south. Expectations and worries were running high. Four hundred miles, seven hours, and one hotel later they met the puppies.
They were just as advertised. Active but not too rambunctious. Friendly and loving. Short-haired, not too big, not too small. The family named the girl Panda because she was white with black spots around her eyes. They named the boy Bear because he was black and…looked like a bear. They thought it would be fun to yell “Panda Bear!” and have both puppies come running.
Panda and Bear are being housebroken. Getting shots. Learning tricks. The house is no longer silent. Eight different paws tip-tap-tip on the floors. Barking fills the air—lots of it. Now at college, Daniel’s pleased to hear the dogs are great pals and play happily in the backyard.
As to that Hannah-shaped hole in their hearts? Panda and Bear didn’t fill that hole like cookie-cut forms. But they have become a part of this family in their own way. In doing so, they are the fulfillment of all the criteria Daniel and his family hoped for.
They are also an illustration of a thing called faith.
Hebrews 11:1 ( NI r V ) says faith is “being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.” Without faith, Daniel and his family would not have left the comfort of their living room to take that seven-hour drive from Maryland to North Carolina. This family of puppy seekers hoped in these two puppies without actually seeing them. They studied the puppies’ pixelated images, read about them, and spoke with the owner on the phone. But without taking that drive of faith, those hoped-for puppies would never have become real to them as their own precious dogs.
Those seeking the Messiah also had a lot of specific criteria. In fact, there are over 300 Old Testament
So, two puppies who met all the specs, who would get along with each other and the family—impossible! But nothing’s impossible with God, right? Eventually, a promising prospect arose: a big litter of Australian shepherd/Jack Russell terrier mixes. There was only one problem: the dogs were in North Carolina and Daniel and his family lived in Maryland—400 miles and a seven-hour drive away.
The puppy hunters weighed the options. That much time and energy just to get a pair of dogs? It would be an overnight trip with costly gas and hotel fees. And what if, when the family finally got there, they were the wrong puppies? Their photos were cute and the owner swore they were adorable little beasts. But used car salesmen and purveyors of puppies have been known to bend the truth. What if these pups were lemons? What if the seller was hoping to unload them on a desperate out-of-town family who had just driven seven hours and spent the night in a hotel? How could they not feel obligated to buy ’em?
Doubt-ridden, Daniel went back to the Internet. Surely, there must be a brother/sister set of puppies that met their criteria closer to home. But there wasn’t. They discussed lowering their standards. Big longhairs? Two males? But this wasn’t a decision to take lightly. Not just any Spot, Shep, or Fido could fill the Grand Canyon in their hearts left by Hannah.
Daniel searched obsessively until he developed a bad case of online-dog-profile-phobia. He was in despair the right dogs would ever turn up. It was time to give up—or get going to North Carolina.
The family loaded up the van and took a drive of faith down south. Expectations and worries were running high. Four hundred miles, seven hours, and one hotel later they met the puppies.
They were just as advertised. Active but not too rambunctious. Friendly and loving. Short-haired, not too big, not too small. The family named the girl Panda because she was white with black spots around her eyes. They named the boy Bear because he was black and…looked like a bear. They thought it would be fun to yell “Panda Bear!” and have both puppies come running.
Panda and Bear are being housebroken. Getting shots. Learning tricks. The house is no longer silent. Eight different paws tip-tap-tip on the floors. Barking fills the air—lots of it. Now at college, Daniel’s pleased to hear the dogs are great pals and play happily in the backyard.
As to that Hannah-shaped hole in their hearts? Panda and Bear didn’t fill that hole like cookie-cut forms. But they have become a part of this family in their own way. In doing so, they are the fulfillment of all the criteria Daniel and his family hoped for.
They are also an illustration of a thing called faith.
Hebrews 11:1 ( NI r V ) says faith is “being sure of what we hope for. It is being certain of what we do not see.” Without faith, Daniel and his family would not have left the comfort of their living room to take that seven-hour drive from Maryland to North Carolina. This family of puppy seekers hoped in these two puppies without actually seeing them. They studied the puppies’ pixelated images, read about them, and spoke with the owner on the phone. But without taking that drive of faith, those hoped-for puppies would never have become real to them as their own precious dogs.
Those seeking the Messiah also had a lot of specific criteria. In fact, there are over 300 Old Testament
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