Family

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God's Little Girl
By Tricia Grace

It began as a perfect day - I had flown 2200 miles to be with my daughter, Courtney who had asked if I would come help choose her wedding gown.
It was a day filled with delightful moments of anticipation in a wonderland of wedding gowns. It was tears of exquisite joy seeing Courtney in a dozen wedding gowns and each one her looking radiant. A time of laughter, tears, sharing, pictures and for cherished memories.
Heading home we decided to find a movie and relax, no more wedding talk. Courtney stopped at home to pick up her border collie, Shamus because he had been in his kennel all day. Shamus waited in the back of the pickup. Quickly we bought snacks and a movie. When we headed back to the truck I felt her tense.
"I am going to kill him". She claimed when she saw he was gone. I knew she was just worried because of the nearby interstate.
She began to reflect on past episodes. "He usually goes home but there are so many other places he could go from here. He is afraid of cars, it is dark; why is he doing this?"
Courtney quickly drove home, hope in her eyes. No Shamus. Back to the mall, around the golf course, the park, back to the mall, stopping to call him. Finally we drove up and down the interstate knowing we would be looking for his body. Nothing.
At this point, Courtney just parked on the access road to the interstate, looking heart broken. I said, "Courtney, we don't know what to do, we need help, we need to pray. Courtney laid her head on the steering wheel and cried. I placed my hand on her back and began:
"God, we don't know what to do here, where to look but You know how important Shamus is to Courtney, how much she loves him, please help us. We thank You for Your guidance, for Your protection of Shamus, for keeping him safe until Courtney can find him. We thank you for keeping him safe thru the night if need be. We ask for help in Jesus' name."
We sat silent awhile. Courtney drove back to the house just in case. I continued to pray silently. She decided we would try the residential area that was on the other side of the parking lot. We drove slowly, down one street after another.
It was nearing three hours since he had disappeared. Courtney was worrying herself sick, I didn't think she could give up till he was found.
Then Courtney noticed a golden retriever sitting near the edge of a driveway. She rolls her window down to tell him he is a good boy, he's home.
Another fifty feet and suddenly the truck is thrown into park, the door is open and Courtney is out of the door.
"Shamus, I love you," she cries.
I come around the truck to see her on the ground holding Shamus, crying happy tears. Joyfully Courtney reminds Shamus he is now an inside truck dog!
Once home the emotional impact of the day hits us and we are ready for bed in short order. I lay there reflecting on how God answered our prayers and am feeling relieved that God brought joy back to my daughter's heart.
Within moments of lights out, the wind began to howl and the fierceness of it reminded me of the power of the devil and how he seeks to destroy our trust in God. The storm is brutal, for a while I really do fear for the roof of this old house; it goes on for hours, at some point the power went out.
In the morning the house is cold, no power means no heat. Courtney and I cuddle up on her bed reflecting on the day before, the dresses, Shamus and the storm; the worst ever, that Shamus would not have survived it; he had never spent a night outside alone. Again I thank God for keeping us safe, for His protection of my daughter, God's little girl and all those she loves.

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