Lost & Found

We had just gotten settled in for the six hour ride back to Temecula a few weeks ago when my sister called to say that Brutus was missing.

Tears.  Prayers.  Frantically trying to work Glenn's iphone to put an ad in Craigslist.  


It was the longest ride ever.


Upon returning home we immediately put up flyers.  We drove and biked our neighborhood all the while calling his name. That July 5th evening we returned home defeated and sick.  I asked my mom who had helped me put up the second round of flyers to read to the children and put them to bed.


As soon as the front door shut I just couldn't hold it in anymore.  I sat in my mom's car and sobbed.  It was gut-wrenching and horrible.  My heart was broken and I knew unless he came home part of it would never heal.

 

I had horrible dreams/nightmares all night long.  I would dream that someone found and returned him and I was elated, only to wake up and realize it wasn't true.  This same scene played in my mind all night long, about a dozen times.  My emotions were completely out of whack when I woke up.


Emry and I set out again that morning putting up huge signs by major intersections.  We went to the animal shelter where Lila broke down in heaving sobs saying she couldn't look at any more dogs, it was too hard.  She said nothing would ever be the same without Brutus and she wanted him home.

That morning my mom had said she received an answer to her prayers and that Brutus was coming home "today"!  My mom is not one to appease anyone or try to make you feel better by saying whatever it takes.  We were all trying to have faith but also do our part in bringing him home.


Upon arriving home from the shelter Glenn said "I found him".


My heart literally skipped a beat but I tried not to get too excited until I saw him with my own eyes.

 Our listing was under "pets", the family who found Brutus put their listing under "lost & found".  A third party (an angel, a good Samaritan, a Saint), emailed Glenn after reading both ads thinking it might be a match.


It was.


4th of July night he had taken off from my sister's house when the fireworks spooked him.  With each explosion he ran farther and faster.  My sister and her kids eventually gave up after chasing him during the whole firework show.  


Brutus had  jumped into someones open car as they were getting in, and he wouldn't get out.


They took him home.

I was sick to my stomach wondering if Brutus was crouched under some shrubs freezing and starving.  I was so relieved to hear this family had loved him and taken such good care of him.


It all could have been avoided if Brutus was wearing tags, which he wasn't.  Once we got him home (and sent the family off with chocolates and $10 to pay for the food they bought, which they wouldn't take until we gave it to their daughter) we bathed him and loved him, got him a new sturdy collar and new tags.


Lesson Learned.

And by lesson I mean pray and have faith.


Later on Emry said we didn't need to spend all our time making and  putting up signs & posters, driving around Temecula asking anyone and everyone if they had seen him and going to the shelter.  Then in her next breath she said "Actually we did, because a few weeks ago in church we learned that faith and works go together.  We needed to do all that work in order to have our prayers answered".


I am  thankful that Brutus is home.  I am beyond thankful that the light of Christ can touch my children.