Believe In Miracles? Take a Chance.

Tonight, I was driving back from the studio after teaching a class.  It was a light night for me – I was done by 7 and ready to go home to fix a good meal and spend time with my pups.  As I drove towards my home, I saw a dog standing on the corner of a street.  He appeared like he might be the dog of the property he was standing on, but I had never seen him before, and it was my neighborhood and I think I know every dog on the block (literally!), and so I pulled over to make sure he wasn’t lost.

As I walked up to the house, he had run up to the porch. I turned and saw my veterinarians, Dr. Kim West and Dr. Evelyn Bowden, taking a walk.  They asked me what I was doing and I pointed to the dog and said, ‘I was just making sure this little guy wasn’t lost’ and they turned and looked and said, ‘Oh my gosh!  That’s the dog that the whole city is looking for!  He has been missing for days!’  We started walking toward him, and he sprinted into the backyard which was full of trees, bushes and plants.  I hoped there was a wrap-around fence in the yard or I knew the dog was gone.  He had sprinted like the wind – after all – he is a Jack Russell!

Dr. West started to call the rescue group that had worked with the dog.  Chance, as his name is, was a rescue who came from a hoarder’s house, and was just adopted this weekend by a man who had been waiting several years to adopt again after losing his dog.  Chance had gotten loose and had been missing from a few miles away for several days.

I worked my way back to the back of the lot through the trees and bushes and found the little dog cowering by the corner fence.  I knew if I got too close, he would sprint away and I might lose him, so I just kept my eyes on him and told him we were here to help him,  while Dr. West called the rescue group and posted on the missing dog Facebook page.

The man who owned the house (that we had taken over the backyard), came out to see what was going on.  I had a moment of fear that he may ask us to leave, but as soon as he heard the story and that the little dog was cowering under the bushes in the back by his fence, he started bringing out plywood and creating a barricade for us so that the dog couldn’t run away.  He noted that he had just pulled this plywood out of storage that very day.

Soon, Chance’s dad arrived and we were able to make the rescue.  Another couple who saw the posting on Facebook also came with treats and love and said they came to support and help.

We all hugged, strangers an hour ago, but now dog rescue pals.

As I drove the rest of the way home, I thought about some things.

In my opinion, a series of Miracles had just occurred.

• I noticed a dog and had the gut instinct to stop.  I truly thought the dog was probably on his own property, but just didn’t recognize him.  Had I not stopped, he wouldn’t have been rescued.
• Dr. West and Bowden were exactly in front of the house the moment I walked up to it.  Had they not been there in that exact moment, and asked me what I was doing, they would not have been able to recognize this was the lost dog.  Again, had this not happened, we would have not rescued Chance tonight.
• The owner of the home could have asked us to get off of his property.  But instead, he HAD JUST PULLED SHEETS OF PLYWOOD out of storage today.  He made a barricade for us.  Again, had he not done this, we may not have caught Chance.

I am not writing this to get accolades or be a hero, I just happened to have the privilege of being in the right place, at the right time.  I am writing this to remind you that the world offers us Miracles every day. It is only if we choose to see them.  I know that Dr. West and Bowden were in that very spot at that very time, on purpose.  I know that I had caught the light at the intersection before to be in that place at that time.  And, the owner happened to have just pulled out plywood from his storage.

There is no such thing as coincidence.  But, there are such things as angels, and I am pretty sure, I met a few tonight.

Not sure if you believe in Miracles?  They are all around you.  They are just waiting for you to notice them.  Take a Chance on them.  They show up on time, in the right place, in the moment you need them.