Kaiser



A little puppy was born in the Autumn of 2007. His mother, a Labrador, and his father, a Dachshund, were two neighborhood trouble makers who fell in love. Their love was forbidden and their offspring, a disgrace. When this little puppy was born with his brothers and sisters, they were labeled as mutts- a nuisance, if you will. They were abused, abandoned and left for dead.  By the time the puppy and his siblings were 3 months old, the city pound provided them a temporary home. However, this dark and damp cage was not a place to thrive. All they wanted was freedom and a sense of security in this scary, big world. The puppy was grateful for the daily meals and comfort of his siblings but the painful cries from the other captives echoed through the night.

He didn't get much sleep that first night. No one did. Everyone just wanted to go home when he realized that none of them knew what "home" really was. “What did they do to deserve such a terrible fate?” he wondered. “Surely there is more to life outside this darkened cage.”

One early morning, they received a visitor.  The cage was opened and his sister was lifted from the spot where she once cuddled her brother. The moment she was placed in the arms of a human, he knew that she may never return. The human cradled her and kissed her head. He immediately wanted his sister beside him but the kindness she was receiving was comforting her. He knew she was better off. So he snuggled close to what was left of his family and looked into her eyes one last time as they said their goodbyes.

Moments passed as one by one, his brothers and sisters were taken.  Each cradled with same affection, an affection he had never known. It wasn't long before he noticed…he was alone.  The fear was overwhelming. “What is to become of me now?” he thought. There was nothing for him here and as the day’s light disappeared, he felt himself do the same. 

Alone in his cage, he heard the captives cry themselves to sleep while others would jumped and paced back and forth. He lay still in his corner, no appetite and no desire to move.  He so deeply missed the warmth of his family. He closed his eyes and tried to rest.


Abruptly, he was wakened.  He could hear the others even louder now and the sounds reminded him of each time he lost someone he loved. It reminded him of how alone he truly was.  He had no idea what was to happen next and then...he saw their feet shuffle past.  Unable to make out their voices, he remained in his place and shook with fright. Closing his weary eyes, he tried to think of his family in their freedom and in their happiness. Surely this peace would be enough to get him through these hopeless days. His cage opened. The man who fed him daily picked him up against his will suddenly paralyzing with fear. Then...he saw her. He felt her warm arms wrap around him with an unexplainable gentleness. A gentleness he had never known. The man beside her smiled and after a few moments, lightly reached out to hold his feeble body. He started to hope that he would never be alone again. He started to hope that maybe he would have a family again.


The puppy was taken to a massive toy store filled with others like him. The only difference here were the barks of happiness and excitement. He refused to walk so he was placed inside a basket. His bewilderment was too much so closed his eyes and peed.

Kaiser's first toy!
When the puppy opened his eyes, he was in a warm home filled with all the toys, water and food he could have. Still, frightened and uncertain of what was happening, he tried to hide. But the more times he hid, the more times he was placed in her arms, experiencing a feeling a safety...and love. He could get used to this.  He enjoyed that time together more than playing, eating and drinking. At first, he kept his distance from the man but he enjoyed his company. He didn't expect him to be gentle but the man would rub his belly and speak softly in his ear. As the puppy became acquainted with him, he realized that this human was a "Good boy.”


OUR SIDE: Kaiser is our rescued baby and we love him dearly. He is very sweet and loves attention. Actual, he demands our attention. He’s shy when he’s around strangers but he warms up when he sniffs your butt and gets to know you better. Before Jon and I rescued him, we prayed for God to bless us with a puppy that was right for us and right for our home.

You know how little girls dream of getting married and moving into the home with the white picket fence? Well, I don't care about the house or the fence just as long I had a Labrador in my yard. That was part of my dream.

The day Kaiser became a part of our family, I remember walking down the row of cages. All the dogs where barking as if saying, "Pick Me! Pick Me!"  I wish I could have taken all of them. But then I laid eyes on him.  He was the only puppy in that entire place...alone in his kennel, in the corner and not moving. I knew I couldn't leave him there. Once again, God went beyond any expectation when we met Kaiser. After his first visit with the veterinarian, I found out that he is half Labrador and half dachshund. Oh, and Jon's favorite dog breed? Dachshunds. YEP! The perfect mix for us! When we look at Kaiser, he is a reminder of God's love for us. He cares about the little things in our lives. There is nothing too big or too small. We've also been in awe of seeing a tiny glimpse of God's unconditional love for us.  It's such a beautiful thing.

I also firmly believe that God knew that Kaiser would be the affectionate and loving fur-baby I needed.  I had no way of knowing then that a year later I would be diagnosed with PCOS and be told that conceiving a child would be slim to none. It was painful to hear and every time I saw a negative pregnancy test, Kaiser would rush to my side to comfort me. He's the only baby I have for now but I'm trusting God's will for my life and leaving the possibility of children in His hands. He knows best! The whole time I thought Kaiser needed us and I found out that we really needed each other.

Sleeping in my arms, as usual! Boobies = awesome pillows.
The first night we had him was rough. He was scared and cried in his bed.  To get some rest for all three of us, we kept him in our room and he did great.  Ever since then, he’s slept in our bed.  We couldn't kick him out. Look at those eyes!! Melts my heart! 

See what I mean?!
The day after we got Kaiser, I was thanking God for our puppy and asking him to help us be good parents. I was worried about him because he was so scared and didn't move. I opened my (Max Lucado) Bible and this is the first thing I read:

When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, he also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. You come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion and mistakes. Because of his justice he cannot dismiss your sin, but because of his love he cannot dismiss you. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, he punished himself on the cross for your sins. God's justice and love are equally honored. And you, God's creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn't end with God's forgiveness.

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God (Rom. 8:15--16 NASB).

But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons (Gal. 4:4--5 NASB).

It would be enough if God just cleansed your name, but he does more. He gives you his name. It would be enough if God just set you free, but he does more. He takes you home. He takes you home to the Great House of God.

Adoptive parents understand this more than anyone. I certainly don't mean to offend any biological parents--I'm one myself. We biological parents know well the earnest longing to have a child. But in many cases our cribs were filled easily. We decided to have a child and a child came. In fact, sometimes the child came with no decision. I've heard of unplanned pregnancies, but I've never heard of an unplanned adoption.

That's why adoptive parents understand God's passion to adopt us. They know what it means to feel an empty space inside. They know what it means to hunt, to set out on a mission, and take responsibility for a child with a spotted past and a dubious future. If anybody understands God's ardor for his children, it's someone who has rescued an orphan from despair, for that is what God has done for us.

God has adopted you. God sought you, found you, signed the papers and took you home.

Comments

  1. I absolutely love this story! Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wiping away the tears. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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