Friday, September 8, 2017

Garden Party

The “labor day” weekend had officially begun for us and we were looking forward to some R and R (rest and relaxation).   

In preparation for the holiday we needed to run a few errands, pay bills, do banking and get in some groceries before the onslaught of shoppers hit the aisles at rush hour. 
 
With our goal accomplished we headed home and were prepared to shut ourselves in for the next 36 hours. 

Pulling into the driveway we were home … home, a place of safety. 

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New on DFB – Moncton & Dieppe, NB, Canada; Saint Albert, AB, Canada; Nasik (Nashik), Maharashtra, India; Sheffield, England, United Kingdom; Copenhagen, Denmark; Seoul, South Korea; Newcastle West, NSW, Australia; Mexico; Japan; Ethiopia; Malta; Peru; Serbia;  

USA Dixon, IL; Modesto, CA; Collins Center, Binghamton & Camden, NY; Dartmouth, Fall River, Westport & North Grafton, MA; Cedar Springs, Sanford & Albuquerque, NM. 

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The Great Escape 

Suddenly Labor Day was officially on hold!  We had just returned home from grocery shopping and were retrieving items from the trunk when I noticed our neighbor Burgy walking toward us.  He was mumbling something (I couldn’t make out what it was because of the distance) pointing to a bunch of puppies that were having a great time running free from yard to yard up and down the street. 

The owners of the lot weren’t home and these seven week old babes somehow escaped their enclosure.  I didn’t know what he wanted us to do, but knew it wasn’t safe for them to be out and about on the road. 

So much for a quiet beginning to our holiday; labor was definitely about to begin, but the day of rest was soon to become part of the future. 

The three of us headed over and counted four little bundles of energy bouncing everywhere.  I’d swear to it that they had smiles on their pudgy faces mocking us as we attempted to gather them. 

Puppy Love 

Trying to catch the pups was like herding camel back crickets!  As soon as you think you have it the bugger jumps out of your grasp making you look like an idiot. 

Getting his attention one of the precocious pups came running, allowing me to scoop him up tucking him under my arm while trying to catch another.  He was a smart little guy thinking I’d take care of him.  He was right. 

Immediately I fell in puppy love! It was the first time I held a pup this young and didn’t want to let him go.  All I wanted to do was take him to a place of safety where he couldn’t get hurt and would always be loved.  My husband had other ideas!

The boys insisted on putting the puppies back in their yard, but I refused and held tight to the little brown sweetie I had in my arms.  If they got out once, they could do it again and we wouldn’t know it after going inside for the evening.  Who knows how long their owners would be gone; perhaps they were away for the weekend as most of the people on our street who head to the shore for a last hurrah of the season. 

While the two men continued their quest to round up the others, toting my bundle of joy I headed into the house to see what food I could give them.  It had been several years since we stopped taking in dog rescues, but we usually have some snacks on hand for our neighbor’s pups that visit quite often. 

A Taste of Freedom 

Burgy and hubby collected the other three and headed to their enclosure in the back yard.  To their surprise they discovered another pup was still in the pen.  Either that one was a very obedient baby or couldn’t figure out how the other four escaped. 

The guys set them back in their pen figuring surely the owners wouldn’t be gone very long with seven week old puppies left alone outside.  No sooner had I come out the door when I saw the thundering herd racing out to us in record time. 
 
This time all four were on the run (I held onto mine). They had no intention of staying cooped up after their taste of freedom. 

The men wanted to find a way to get them to stay where the owners left them, but the mother in me said no way, I’m taking them to our yard for their safety. 

Like a bunch of little flies they stayed ahead of us and just out of reach.  Certainly we were concerned with their being safe but if you have any kind of imagination you know how hilarious this was trying to catch them. 
 
So what happens when five guests show up uninvited?
You have a garden party!

Hosting a Garden Party 

Our house was down the street from where the dogs lived.  The outer area is fenced in completely for our pets, and inside the yard there is another restricted area reserved for our gardening needs. It can only be accessed if we open the gate. 

Knowing that we couldn’t bring the puppies inside the house since they weren’t vaccinated, I insisted that the safest and best place to put them would be in the garden.  The boys reluctantly followed suit and did as I requested. 

To alieve their anxiety I suggested hubby call the police and inform them what happened so that we weren’t charged with theft.  The authorities agreed that it was a good idea especially since the animal warden was off duty until the following Tuesday.  We promised to notify them when the owners returned home. 

After we got the puppies in the yard somewhere along the way Burgy disappeared!  I think he knew what was about to happen and “it weren’t gonna be no part - ee”. 

Getting the five squirmers in our garden was another monumental task.  Let me share how things went. I wish we had a camera on this!  Open the gate put one in …pull it back then add another and the first one escapes. One in, one out … two in, one out … three in, two out … you get the idea right?   

When dealing with puppies and trying to get them to do what you want, the only tool you have is the ability to distract them.  Finally I used a shaker of food to get their attention so my husband could get the gate opened and closed.   
 
Unfortunately during the diversion the midget running backs trampled our potato patch making a salad out of it!

We repeated this relay action for the next twenty minutes until they were all inside the garden.  You couldn’t help but laugh even through the frustration. Hubby and I were exhausted but those little rascals were enjoying every minute of it. 

Provision in the Garden 

Puppies that age need to be fed three to four times a day and the owners hadn’t been home for at least six to eight hours.  Looking at their size it's hard to believe they were so young. 
 
Our first task after making the round-up was to give water and feed them.  They squealed and yapped devouring the food. I don’t know how long it was since their last feeding, but they were absolutely the hungriest litter mates I have ever seen.   

After a good feeding and clean fresh water they curled up on one another and went sound asleep.  They found it so much easier to sleep on their siblings full belly.   

Even though our potatoes were ransacked by the puppy invasion, the garden truly was a haven of rest and safety.  Everything they needed was provided for them in the garrrr -"den". 


A Place of Blessings 

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.” (Genesis 2:8 NKJV) 

When I was studying for this post I asked the Lord to give me something to help relate the favor of God through blessings that were established in the Garden of Eden. Jokingly, hubby suggested I make my requests to the Lord without us having to go through the experience! 

The escapade with the puppies was draining, but watching them fall asleep in an unfamiliar place I knew it was a revelation from the Lord.  For hours we kept watch over our furry friends and lovingly brought them into our life without question.  

“A righteous person cares even about the life of his animals,
but the compassion of wicked people is nothing but cruelty.”
(Proverbs 12:10 GW) 

God placed the mini canines before our eyes to show them favor and be a blessing.  The Bible says that a righteous person cares about the life of an animal.  A righteous person is one that is in right standing with God.  So a person right with God will want to do what God would do as His image bearer. 

We were given the opportunity to be obedient to His Word in caring for God's creation as an act of righteousness.  The Lord expected us to take dominion over the situation and form a relationship (although temporary) between man and animal.  We were blessed just having them in our presence; feeding, caring and loving them came easy.   

Puppies certainly weren’t what I had in mind, but it turned out to be a labor of love.  After the entire ordeal was over it was clear as day what the Lord did in the garden not only for mankind, but for the animals.   

Moving the foundlings into our garden was something I felt led to do. It provided shelter, a place of safety and blessings for the pups and us. 

Think on This Challenge:
Why move Adam to the Garden? 

I did a lot of thinking while those pups were roaming around our garden getting into all sorts of things.  We could have left them in the yard where there was plenty of water, but decided it would be safer for them in the garden. 

God made it clear that He literally “put” man in a different place from where he was created.  This intrigued me. 

Our think on this challenge asks: When God formed man the world was already prepared for him, so why did He move Adam into the garden?  Think about it and share this with someone. 

Next week we’ll look at “Life in God’s Garden.” 
 

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Until next time, God moves us into places of favor!

“There is favor where I put you.”
Jesus Christ 
 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

When used, the words satan or devil are not capitalized deliberately, because we give him no place in our lives. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on the photo or link.
 


by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
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