Article Written for BUT GOD MAGAZINE Spring 2023 Edition
I was walking through the frozen food aisle one weekday afternoon when a man started up a conversation with me. I have no recollection of what we were talking about, only that I was trying to place him. He was talking to me as though we knew each other, but I was not sure where I knew him from. We continued the conversation for a few minutes, then he realized that I was not placing him. "Aren't you Rufus's mom?" he asked.
Yes, yes, I am! I was beaming with delight and pride, to have been recognized for my kid more than for my twenty plus years on Los Angeles television. To have such a good dog, that I was recognized for his sake, was precious. My husband, Brian and I do not have children. So, this little rescue dog is like our child. We would never compare a canine to a human, but when you do not know what it's like to have a mini-me, that's as close as we will get. To us, Rufus is our opportunity to feel like parents. He's God's gift to us.
Rufus's life is a gift from God. He was turned into the shelter with a broken leg and was unadoptable. He was taken to a kill shelter where dogs are put down if they're not adopted within a certain amount of time.
But God had bigger plans for our puppy and gave him a second chance when a rescue organization recognized the sweet, gentle soul that lived inside him.
We now know, the Lord spared his life not just for our sake, but so that he could be a joy to so many. I knew this, but that day in the frozen food aisle, there was no denying it. Rufus had made such an impression on him, that he not only remembered him but also remembered me as his mom.
Everywhere we go, he leaves an impression on people. His beautiful brown eyes are soulful. "Is your dog smiling?" they ask. Yes, he is. God gave him a second chance to brighten peoples' day, to bring a smile, and to share love and joy with those who may not otherwise experience it. He just makes people feel good.
We know that when God saved his life and gave him to us, God was also giving us a second chance.
As I said, Brian and I don't have kids and truthfully, neither one of us wanted them until we found each other. When we got married, I was already 39 years old, so yes, we started trying before we got married. Shortly after we started trying to conceive, but unfortunately shortly thereafter, Brian was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After a period of consistent surveillance, we were told that there was a possibility that his cancer had become more aggressive and that the prudent thing to do was to remove the prostate. Having children became impossible.
Brian saved some sperm in case I wanted to try at some point. But when I thought about it, I decided that if God wanted me to be a mommy, he knew what was in my heart and he would have made it happen. When we talked about it, we both decided that for that reason, and
because we wanted a family that included parents that were present and not off working all the time, we should forget the sperm. If we became parents at our age, we would both work so much longer than we wanted. Maybe we were rationalizing, but we were completely fine with the path
God had laid for us, and if parenthood was not what he wanted for us, we were both okay.
When we examined the totality of our lives, we agreed that we would not change anything if we had to do it over, the roads God had taken us down, both as single people and as a married couple, had worked out really well. Surrendering peacefully to his grace had not steered us
wrong before, so there was no reason to start doubting now.
I told one of my sisters that we weren't going to have kids and she plainly said, "People who have kids miss out on half their lives, and those that don't have kids miss out on half their lives too." It was a very simple, yet profound statement that made me realize it was going to be alright. There was a beautiful life ahead of me if I chose to seek God's wisdom and simply follow the path he laid before me.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.
We take Rufus with us, as often as we can, just like a child. In his mind, we are a pack, and those who enter our pack are cared for and watched by him. When we go on hikes, he always knows who is in the pack, where everyone is, and if someone is missing. He is God's precious creation that gives us love and joy and we are happy and honored to be able to share that with those who need love. We do our best to make sure he knows he is cared for and loved.
We will not make an impact on the world through the descendants we leave behind, but we will make an impact by the deeds we do and the love we do them with. After all, love is the only thing God asks us to share and spread.
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. John 4:7
Second chances come upon us in small ways and large ones. All we need to do is see them for what they are. God is always present, and showering us with his love and grace, but sometimes we get so wrapped up in our lives, that we cannot see what is happening for what it is.
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