A Puppy Locked in the Bathroom

Yesterday we had an emergency at our house and it involved a puppy—surprise, surprise. I was diligently working on my sermon when Leigh-Ann called to let me know that Oreo was locked in the bathroom. Immediately, I assumed that it was not that big of a deal and that they should be able to get in easily.

I began to coach Leigh-Ann over the phone about how to get into the door. This did not work…..it’s kind of like trying to teach your wife how to golf or play tennis. I admit, I got frustrated and asked her to put Alexa on the phone….I mean, it couldn’t be that difficult. After a few minutes with her I realized this was not a project that could be accomplished remotely. They were in a hurry to get the splint on Brownie’s broken leg changed (another story for another e-mail) so they took off and I went home to rescue the puppy.

Very few people know this about me, but I have a knack for breaking in through locked doors. For some reason, this is not something I have identified on any spiritual gifts tests and I don’t keep this on my resume; however it does come in handy when someone needs help getting into their house or car. And no, I don’t have anything I need to disclose about my past.

The lock was actually a little more difficult than I anticipated, but I did get it open. Oreo was very happy to get out of the bathroom and I was very happy to put him in his little kennel and head back to the office to continue my sermon study.

Several minutes later, Leigh-Ann called to let me know everything went well at the vet and that a funny thing happened in the van. They were listening to the radio and Sophie heard “when the darkness closes in Lord”.... and she thought it said “When the bathroom locks him in Lord”...and she said, "Mom! This song is about Oreo being locked in the bathroom! How did they know about that?!?!?"

What I love about this little misunderstanding is that it is chock full of faith and hope. Children have much to teach us adults about simply trusting that God is going to provide for every need: physically, emotionally and spiritually. This Sunday, get ready to look at life from a different perspective. Though it is natural to resist suffering and difficulties, Peter is calling each of us to the opposite. We will suffer and we have the opportunity to not simply survive, but we can actually thrive in difficult times…..if you want a head start for the service you can read the text from 1 Peter 4:12-19. I hope to see you Sunday!