Meet Coe

In the past year I have had this conversation with the little family that lives here:)

"I really don't want anymore pets in the house. Especially pets in cages. Cages that need to be cleaned"

So, that being said, in the past year there have been fish tanks, frog terrariums, spiders encaged and about two weeks ago I went downstairs and saw something that looked like scaffolding extending halfway up to the ceiling.

Is that a cage?

It looked like some kind of animal urban development project.

Is that a cage?

On closer inspection, I spy two coiled up ferrets in a hammock hanging from the top of the CAGE.

On a little table next to them are mini icy drinks with little umbrellas floating atop and little ferret ear buds in.. and I'm pretty sure I hear this verse:

                                                       Nibblin' on sponge cake

                                                       Watching the sun bake.

      Wasted away again in Margaritaville.

  Search'n for my lost shaker of salt. 

That part might have been an exaggeration but, they did look very comfy and obviously scored the Penthouse. 

Oh, I give up. 

If a woman is talking 

But no one is listening

It's probably the Mom. 

A few weeks ago, we had quite a stormy night. My daughter sent me a text that my grandson wanted to come upstairs with me. 

He slipped into bed with me and did the sign for "cold" and "scared." I asked him if he wanted to pray and he put his palms together. 

I prayed aloud that the Lord would protect all the animals outside in the storm then I prayed for family members. 

Aidan loves to hear their names:

Uncle Justin

Aunt Amy

Baby Penny (he cracked a smile at that name..I know because I peeked:)

Uncle John 

Aunt Sophie....

I mean, who knows....maybe its raining where they are.

I prayed for any storms that might be in their lives.....

And then this came out of my mouth:

"And Lord, would you please bring Aidan a dog"

What? 

Where did THAT come from. 

This time both our eyes popped open. 

Silence. 

Then we looked at each other and started to crack up! 

We laughed and laughed and laughed:) 

All laughed out, we drifted off to sleep in the Peace that covered us.

Storm? 

What storm..? 

The next day (the very next day!) I received a call from a friend. 

She had recently met a woman in a dog park who trained service dogs. My friend was interested in training one of her dogs to be a service dog for herself. They planned a meeting to discuss it. Sitting at Panera, my friend started to tell this woman about Aidan and she showed her a picture of him. The conversation went from HER wanting/needing a service dog, to the idea of Aidan getting a service dog. (she is one of the most generous, selfless women I know)

To make a long, beautiful, furry story short..meet Coe: 

A black lab. A recuse dog.

I went to meet him at the home of the "foster mama":) The trainer met me there (along with my friend who crafted the whole idea:) and the trainer decided he would be a great candidate for a service dog! 

Coe will be trained to sleep with Aidan and bark to get our attention if Aidan needs us. He will learn basic sign language and basically be a companion for Aidan. 

Here's my thought for the day. 

Sometimes there are dark frightening storms in our lives.

Sometime our prayers fall flat - they come back to us like an echo. No ear to catch them. No response. Some prayers seem to go unanswered. 

"I know Lord, why your utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away...What other answer would suffice? - C. S. Lewis. 

And then there are the prayers that are answered before you even pray them. ("And Lord, please bring  Aidan a dog") They are all tied up with a bow...waiting to be delivered once uttered:)

Woof..