“Always give thanks to God for everything." ~ Ephesian 5:20
Centuries ago, stagecoach drivers assumed
responsibility for the safety of their passengers from the perils of unknown
territories, impassable roads, and the threat of robbery. Modern bus drivers
must still keep guard for their passengers, even the furry ones.
So, when the car in front of him swerved to avoid a man
walking toward traffic in his pajamas, Mike slowed his city bus to a stop. The
man guided a golden Lab down the middle of the road by the collar. A drunken
smile crossed his face when he looked up.
Mike coaxed the dog up the steps where it promptly slumped
next to the strapping busman’s seat. His collar read “Cooper.”
Oddly enough, Cooper didn’t seem eager to follow his owner,
so the man dragged him by the collar toward the back of the bus where he took a
seat next to a young woman.
The near-empty coach echoed
their brief chat. Mike overheard the man offer Cooper to her for $50. She acidly
refused.
The drunkard rose from his seat
and stumbled forward and waited beside Mike to exit the bus. The cool operator decided
to ask the 'owner' a few questions, including the pooch's name. The man seemed
unsure, and none of the names he attempted matched the one on Cooper’s collar.
That’s when Mike knew that
Cooper and his supposed owner did not actually belong together. Cooper
was either lost or stolen. If lost, he’d been found by the wrong person.
He pulled his rig to a complete
stop and motioned for the man to get off. “The dog stays with me,” Mike told
the man with a menacing grin. He left to hearty applause from the remaining
passengers.
When his shift ended Mike turned
Cooper over to an all-night veterinary hospital that identified the dog’s owner
as Jane Murphy from an imbedded chip. The wily pooch had either escaped or was
taken while Jane’s son was visiting a friend that night.
Cooper was returned to a
grateful Murphy family the next morning. They insisted on meeting Mike so they
could thank him in person and gave the hero driver a framed picture of their
beloved pup with this adorable note: "Thank you for bringing me back home
to my family! Love Cooper.”
Beneath the chaos of today’s
headlines, is a quietness that whispers of love as our truth. When we invite
the Spirit in, when we savor opportunities to return goodness, there’s a sense
of amazing gratitude. It’s this sense that makes our souls robust, strong
enough to greet stormy and sunny days with equal satisfaction.
Father God, thank You for the courageous
people of great character around us, and for bringing them into our lives at
the exact time we need them. Amen
