Missing: White husky with blue eyes and a pink nose with one freckle on it. 

This post on Craigslist tugged at my heart.

First, because although I’ve never had a dog go missing, I have loved one enough to know what it would feel like if he were lost. Second, because this wasn’t the first post I’d seen about this missing (and feared kidnapped) dog. His owner had been plastering the area with notices for more than three weeks. 

What grabbed my heart and wouldn’t let go was the last part of his description – a pink nose with one freckle on it. 

Anyone could have described a white husky. And pink noses often accompany white fur. But only someone who had looked long into his beloved dog’s face, studied it, and maybe even kissed its pink nose a few times would have noticed that single freckle. It’s obvious this description was written by someone who loved his pet enough to notice everything about it and commit it to memory. 

I recently watched a young mother with her newborn baby. She nestled him close in the crook of her arm and studied him closely. The downy-soft fuzz on his head. The plump curve of his cheek. The delicate arch of his eyebrows. With her tender gaze she committed every detail to memory. 

‘Twas a holy thing, those love glances. 

I’ve been blessed to love a dog and a child this much, but I’m even more blessed to belong to a God who loves me this much – and a thousand times more. You do, too. One who notices everything about you, right down to the very last freckle. Luke 12:7 tells us, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” 

Isaiah 40:11 describes his nurturing, shepherd’s heart. “He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart . . .” I suspect, as God the Good Shepherd carries us close to his heart, he looks upon us with deep, adoring love. 

How sweet is that? 

I’m sad that my neighbor’s dog is missing. I hope he finds his way home soon. 

But lost souls make me even sadder than lost dogs. 

If you’ve wandered far from home, I hope you’ll find your way back. The God who knows the number of hairs on your head longs to hold you tight, carry you close to his heart, and welcome you home. 

If you’d like to know more about how to have a relationship with God, I invite you to CLICK HERE.

UPDATE on Nesta, the missing Husky. Since I wrote this post, Nesta and her owner have been reunited. I don’t know the details, but this picture says it all.


Word for Your Day — 66 Devotions to Refresh Your Mind

Lori Hatcher holding a copy of A Word for Your Day

Allow God’s Word to change your life, one word at a time! Lori Hatcher’s newest book, a 66-day devotional highlights one relevant, sometimes unexpected, word from each book of the Bible. Lori, the best-selling author of Refresh Your Faith and Refresh Your Prayers, shares simple—but never simplistic—truths. She continues to remind us that every part of Scripture is active, alive, and applicable. 

From beginning in Genesis to new in Revelation, ponder each significant word as you move through your day and allow God to transform your heart and mind.

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