This is what you will find upon our front porch on any given day: muddy boy-shoes, yucky boy-socks (in the summer, add a varied selection of flip-flops and sandals), and now... a dog!
Apparently, she's been wandering the area for some time, but two weeks ago, the spring fever finally hit at our house and during her wanderings, she found our five kids rolling and running in the yard. She stayed to play, and when they fed her afterward, she figured she was in dog heaven.
Nathanael promptly named her "Copper," and John groused and complained about her for the next two weeks. She is a beagle mix, with the wanderlust and sing-song bark of a hunting dog. She was probably abused, she is way too interested in our neighbors' garages, and she has a bad habit of running right up to passing cars.
"She's going to get herself shot!" John pronounced.
"She's going to get herself run over!" I grumbled. But for all that, she is very sweet-natured, she adores the kids, and she loves to play. I figured her wanderlust would lead her off to other parts after a day or so, but she has made our front porch her base of operations. Becca continued to badger her father about letting the dog stay, and finally, John told Becca that this would be
her dog and
her problem. But Dad didn't realize that God had had a hand in this dog-business.
At church on Sunday, Becca asked me for $10 of her banked money. When I asked why, she explained that she had asked God for a dog or a cat to call her own, and she had promised to give Him $10 if he sent one. Obviously, he had honored the deal, so now it was time to pay up. I had to smile and explain that God doesn't work that way: he doesn't bless us because we work out a "deal" with him; he blesses us because he loves his children and he loves to answer our prayers. But, when you make a promise, you have to keep it, so she gave her thanks offering... and we have a dog. Meet Copper:
