He bounded into camp and revolutionized our moods.
We were doing what we once enjoyed but hadn’t accomplished lately. My daughter and I left our car in a secluded parking lot, shouldered our backpacks, and hiked inland on the Foothills Trail to Pigpen Falls. Knowing our intended campsite’s popularity, we planned to get there early. After setting up camp, we sat around for a bit before walking a couple of miles down the Chattooga River Trail.
Our attempt to lift our somber mood wasn’t working too well until a black lab suddenly bounced into our camp with a hemlock cone dangling from his mouth. He dropped it at my daughter’s feet and stood back, tail wagging. She got the message and tossed it away. He retrieved. What he really wanted was for her to throw it into the water. As we walked down the Chattooga River trail, he followed. She continued to throw, and he continued to retrieve.
At our turnaround point, we spotted a trout fisherman. So did the dog. Leaving us as quickly as he had come, he took up with the fisherman. Later, the owners passed our camp, and we pointed them down the trail to the dog that had altered the atmosphere of our lives.
Like the psalmist, my daughter and I were searching. We had found God in the past, but we needed Him to show up in the present. Several years prior, I had watched my intact family disintegrate before my eyes. I still battled depression, disappointment, and confusion. My daughter also suffered. She had lost a mother and was presently adjusting to college life.
While I don’t believe we find God in all things, I do think He shows up in shapes and forms we don’t always recognize. He refuses to be confined in a box. Although God wasn’t the dog, His presence infiltrated the dog to bring momentary happiness and relief to two hurting people. God’s usual mode of operation entails showing His love for His creations and His concern for the hurts or hard decisions we’re up against.
Learn to find God’s presence in the out-of-ordinary things. He has a habit of showing up when we least expect it and in forms we might not imagine.
How have you experienced God in unexpected ways?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay and AlkeMade.)
(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
Martin Wiles lives in Greenwood, SC, and is the founder of Love Lines from God. He is a freelance editor, English teacher, pastor, and author who has been published in numerous publications. He also serves as Managing Editor for both Christian Devotions and Vinewords.net. He is the author of six books. His most recent book, Don’t Just Live...Really Live, was released in November 2021. He and his wife are parents of two and grandparents of six. He can be contacted at [email protected].