(Sharing this story from a few years ago)

Dudley, our sissy house dog is terribly afraid of thunder..  Just ask our Ole Miss friends, the Parkes.  While we were gone, a large and loud thunderstorm came over our house.  Dudley, I call him “the Big Dud”, went berserk, crazed, wild.  Because he was so scared of the thunder and lightning he decides to leave.  First, he goes upstairs and chews and claws the door trying to get in.  No luck.  He then pushes open the front door, chews a hole in the dogproof wire of our backyard………. He gone!!!

Now when we drive up and see the door open, and then no Dudley, our hearts are in our throats because we know how he gets in a storm.  We call, yell, honk horns, everything.  We call out the cavalry/family.  We are out riding the country roads while it’s still raining.  I get on the 4-wheeler riding the back pastures.  Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Staci and I go to bed but there’s no sleep.  Not for me especially.  I’m mad because I didn’t lock the door behind me when I left earlier in the day.  If only I had locked the door, then he would still be in the house.  I’m fearful because I know what’s in the backyard and woods.   Also, I’ll admit to this.  I am sad.  The thought of losing this dog has saddened me.  I’ve always had manly dogs. A Lassie Collie, then a brown Lab, then a bloodhound.  This dog is the only dog we have now.  He is Staci’s pet.  A shih-Tzu…….but he’s my little wolf!

Look it up.  What dog is the most closely related to a wolf.  You would think it would be a Husky, or a German Shepherd.  But the guys at Mission Wolf told us that the Chinese breeds like the Shih-Tzu are closest kin.  Now it makes sense to me.  I’m attached to this little fellow because deep down he is a wolf.  I can relate to that!

At 2 am, it’s unusually quiet. Spooky because it’s so quiet  There’s fog and no wind.  The rain has finally stopped.  I go outside and call.  I can hear sounds from the 4-lane highway a couple of miles away, the trucks and their gears shifting.  What’s so bad is that I can also hear the owls, the coyotes, and all the other predators that roam the nights.  What’s good is that I promise you I hear a little dog howl.  Immediately, I wake Staci (she’s not asleep).  “Get out here and call for Dudley” I’m telling her and rushing her outside.

Staci comes outside and calls for her puppy. She yells, “Come get a treat, let’s go to Mimi’s, want a puppy cup?”  All these phrases are things that get the Big D to respond when he’s at home.  I thought I heard a howl off in the distance.  But nothing.  Staci goes back in, I walk around in the woods for another hour.  Mad, fearful, saddened, now dreading what the outcome of this will be.  Why?  Well, if I did hear a small dog whimpering somewhere in the night, so did all the predators.  As I walk in the woods, the howl of a coyote only a short distance away raises the hair on my back, but at the same time lowers the feelings in my heart.  My dog is gone.  Where oh where can he be?

It’s morning now.  The search party of kinfolks has arrived.  We start asking neighbors, riding the roads, and searching.  We get a call that he was seen over a mile away at a neighbors driveway.  Off we go.  It’s rather comical now, but you would think that we had lost something special.  Well, we have.  Dogs become part of our lives, part of our own being.  If you have never experienced the loyalty and love from a dog, then you must have a cat.  Or either you have a huge hole in your heart that has never experienced a companion with 4 legs.  I feel a bit sorry for you.

The search party spans out over the area.  I get a hunch that maybe the little wolf may be trying to get back home on his own.  He’s a house dog, spoiled, can’t walk on grass ’cause he gets stickers.  There’s no way ……….well, except somehow God gives these creatures a sense of where home is and how to get back.  While everyone is searching this last place he was seen, I begin the mile long trek back towards the house.  Halfway home, in a sandy road bed I see little dog tracks, along with fresh deer, turkey……….. and coyote tracks.  They are fresh, too fresh.  I start running and calling as I go.  A quarter mile from the house I am on top of a large hill.  I let out a holler for my little wolf.  And he answers! boo woo woof.   I take off running.  I’m trying to call the search party on my phone as I run.  “Get home.” I yell, “He’s close to the house”.

As I run to the backyard, I see the prodigal dog.  He’s scared of me.  I guess he’s been through a lot.  Now he won’t even come to me.  I kneel down and wait.  Suddenly he bolts to me whimpering and jumping into my lap.  His whimpering sounds as if he’s crying, the little wolf pup.  The daddy wolf is shedding a tear or two himself.  Why?  Because Dudley has come home.

All the search party celebrates.  We eat Pizza!

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Luke 15:20

But this story was about a dog.  He left on his own. He’s done it to himself. Doesn’t matter what caused him to leave.  He may have been scared.  But even if he had been rebellious, disobedient, or well, think of whatever reason YOU can think of to leave home yourself.  The point is that there was love waiting for him when he returned.

We have a Loving, Living, Heavenly Father who waits with open arms for me and you to return to Him.  Why do we run away when we’ve got it made where we are?  We get scared.  Or maybe we get rebellious, disobedient, or well, think of whatever reason YOU can think of to leave God yourself.  The point is our Heavenly Father’s love is waiting for your return.  You’ve never experienced His love?  Well, you must have a huge hole in your heart (and soul) that has never had this experience.  I feel a bit sorry for you.  He’s waiting….

See Ya! Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher, on a journey with a “little wolf”