"I Once Was Lost..." A Christmas Miracle

   “’Do you believe in miracles?’ How many of you remember Al Michaels’ statement in 1980, when Team USA defeated Team Russia? I am a huge hockey fan now, but I was only a year and a half when this happened. So, I don’t remember it, but I have seen the replays and heard the stories. My one misconception is that the win was for the gold medal, but that was actually the game that qualified them to play in the gold medal game. So much attention surrounded it. It was so miraculous that it could’ve been for the gold medal.

   As we see in today’s Gospel reading from Matthew, miracles certainly did exist in biblical times. But do miracles still exist today? Of course they do…Right now, in this time in human history, I think we need to be reminded that miracles do exist. God is constantly at work, behind the scenes. He is with us in the valleys, and He carries us to the mountain tops.”

   This is a snippet from the introduction to a sermon I did about a year and a half ago on miracles…Christmas is the season of miracles. The birth of our Lord and Savior is the main case in point. I love watching movies like “It’s A Wonderful Life” during this time of year, too…We see how one person’s life impacts so many other lives…Being able to live, this gift of life, is a miracle, too.

   Speaking of lives impacting other lives…I truly believe it is a small world, we are all connected…We are all God’s children. It’s always amazed me how God brings people into our lives. Take the following story…

   Friday, December 10^th…Tristan, a hard-working hair stylist (who does REALLY awesome work!) who opens her home to foster dogs, posts on Facebook that the new foster dog named Chubs, who just came to their home a couple of days sooner, had escaped! He just had surgery the day before…And the next day, the blizzard hit…

   How could a dog survive in weather like that? On Saturday, December 11^th, Tristan asked if I could post info about Chubs on my page, asking for prayers…A whole bunch of people were praying for the safe return of Chubs. The power of prayer is ever to be underestimated…

   On Sunday, December 12^th, Tristan said, “Please say a little prayer for Chubs, the lost foster dog, that he's somewhere warm and safe. It seems too much to hope that we ever see him again… & if we DO see him again, we'll be @ Caroline's church, WITH the dog, re-named ‘Lucky’, on Xmas eve.” My response? “I will continue to pray...And I will save a spot for you in church...I'll be at the 10:30pm service, reading the lessons...Hope to see you, Bill, and ‘Lucky’ (a.k.a. Chubs) there! :)” I kept telling Tristan I would be saving her a seat in church…

   I truly believed he would be found…”I once was lost, but now am found”…Those lyrics from “Amazing Grace” come to my mind. Was Chubs really lost? The thing that comes to my mind is that God knew the entire time where he was. WE just didn’t know where he was. No matter where we are in life, no matter what we have done, God is always with us. Are you feeling lost today? Hopeless? Lonely? Had a dream crushed? PLEASE remember that you are not alone in this world…God is with you every step of the way. And out there, there may be someone who has felt or is feeling the same way you do…

   On Monday, December 13^th, Tristan said, “I am not giving up yet. Kinda like an annoying little terrier. Wonder where that comes from?” One need not give up…Hope is what sustains us, gets us through…A couple of quotes on hope I would like to share: “Hope never abandons you; you abandon it,” George Weinberg, and “Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself, 'How did I get through all of that?'” ~ Unknown

   The following morning, Chubs was sighted in North Saint Paul, on McKnight by a Holiday gas station. Tristan’s husband, Bill, went searching for him…It turns out that a family has been feeding Chubs, but no one can catch him. So, even with the snow and 10-degree temperatures, Chubs was still alive, being fed by strangers…

   Tristan called me that night to tell me that the woman’s name who had been feeding Chubs was also Caroline. Was that a sign? ;)

   The next day, Tristan messaged me, telling me that Bill got the name wrong. Her name was actually Christina. That’s okay…Christina is a cool name, too. :) And, she is a wonderful, caring person…Tristan went on to tell me, “BUT, the good news is we are one step closer to having to inquire about your pet policies at church! Check my page for news... (and love and thanx and warm fuzzies to all!!!)” The spread of warm fuzzies will not be stopped…

   Wednesday, December 15^th…The plan of action was set to catch Chubs. A live trap…Would he be caught? People stopped putting out food, in an effort to lure Chubs to the bait…

   The next day, Thursday, December 16^th, while I was at work, Tristan set me a text message, but I didn’t get it until I was done with work after 5pm…Her status update at 3:01pm said it all: “WE GOT THE DOG!!!!!!” Bill was able to catch him with the help of a fishing net. He got bit twice, among other things…On my page, Tristan posted, “Bill caught the dog!!! Praise God! We'll be at church Christmas eve. And I love EVERYONE!” What a wonderful ending to this Christmas miracle! I told her, “And, we love you, Tristan! :) I am VERY happy to hear this news...Thanks be to God! :) And everyone who helped and their prayers...This is truly a Christmas miracle...We will need to think of a new name for Chubs...And I will see you Christmas Eve at the 10:30pm service! :)” I posted a word of thanks to my friends who kept Chubs and Tristan in their prayers: “Thank you, friends, for keeping my friend Tristan Beckman Arnold’s foster dog Chubs in your prayers...He was lost in the blizzard...Tonight, he is found, back with Tristan and her husband, safe and sound...Christmas truly is the season for miracles! :)” Tristan replied, “’Like’, heck! I LOVE this post! Thank you every one for your prayers, and thank God for getting this pup back to us… I am STILL amazed and so grateful we got that silly dog back. I've been all misty ever since. It's hard on the mascara.” I know all too well about that, Tristan…

   On Saturday, December 18^th, Tristan got to meet Christina and Bob…It is a great story of how everyone met…As Tristan said, “Best Christmas Ever!!”

   Chubs, a.k.a. Al Snow (for Alpha Male in the Snow, although he is tough like the WWE wrestler Al Snow), a.k.a. Alphonso, a.k.a. Alfredo, will be adopted by the people who helped find him: Christina and her husband, Bob. What wonderful people to help…The connectedess…It all works out somehow, doesn’t it? :) As Tristan said on Monday, December 20^th, “The Christmas miracle keeps snowballing.” Was the pun intended, Tristan? ;)

   On Wednesday, December 22nd, Tristan said, “No pressure... but Bob & Christina, the runaway dog savers, are gonna come with us to church on Christmas eve. Dazzle us, Caroline! Warm fuzzies!” Warm fuzzies are contagious…I believe it is part of my mission to spread them…When people use the phrase, it warms my heart. :)

   Is life always going to be warm fuzzy-ish? Of course not…We take the good and the bad…I also believe in hoping for the best, being positive, because life is gosh-too-darn short to be miserable. God has us all in the palm of His hand…I put my trust in Him…Everything is going to e a-ok, according to His plan, not necessarily my plan. :)

   I responded to Tristan, “That is wonderful! It will be great to meet them! :) Dazzle...Should I wear something that sparkles? ;) It will be a beautiful service...YAY for seeing you on Fri. night! WARM FUZZIES! :)”

   Everyone came to church on Christmas Eve, except for Chubs, or Alfredo, whom I half-expected to see…I never asked Pastor John what the policy was on allowing dogs into the church. ;) After all, they are God’s creatures, too…It was a beautiful night, beautiful service…It was great to meet Christina, whom I count as a new friend. :) And, if I understand this correctly, Tristan is going to help my pastor find a dog? Who would’ve thought…There’s that connectedess thing again…It’s a small, small world…

   I asked Tristan for permission to write a blog about this Christmas miracle, and she told me to “Blog away”…I told her, “It was great seeing you and meeting Christina and her family...I would love to write a blog about this Christmas miracle...It's amazing how God brings people into our lives...never ceases to amaze me. :) And, I'll have to post our pic from church, too...Hope you guys come back sometime! :) P.S. I have "You Light Up My Life" now stuck in my head...D'oh! :)” Tristan had told me as we held the candles at church that I was the light of her life…Awww…She responded, “Thank you, Caroline! Holy Cross Lutheran and its Pastor & flock could not have been more welcoming. Best Christmas Ever!”

   Best Christmas ever…My friend, you are truly a blessing, and I hope that you know that I am always here for you…A lot of people are here for you. Most importantly, God is always with you. Even amongst the bad in the world, it is good to know that there is still good, that the kindness of strangers is out there…In the battle of good versus evil, good wins the war. :)

   And, with that I say, WARM FUZZIES!!!!!!! :)