How God Used a Dog to Lose and Find a Boy

“God, the great Creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by his most wise and holy providence, according to his infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of his own will, to the praise of the glory of his wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.” So states the Westminster Confession of Faith in Chapter 5, “Of Providence.” This is the doctrine that God is not a “watchmaker” God who creates and “winds things up” only to withdraw from His handiwork. No, God is involved in the intimate details of all His Creation. He cares for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how much more does He care for one of His children! (Matthew 6:25-34). There are multitudes of biblical examples, but perhaps this personal account will help to explain God’s providence.
Several years ago I went to my mother’s house on a summer day. She was not home, so I walked down to my Nana’s house, which is three doors down. My mother’s dog, Brandi, followed. When we arrived down the street, Brandi proceeded into the backyard and into the woods. I had heard tale of how she would wander off for long periods of time, so I was (unusually) curious to follow her and find out where she would go. She very purposefully trotted through the woods as I struggled to keep up. Kindly she waited for me on several occasions as I called out to her. Soon we arrived at a neighborhood on the other side of the woods. I had been in this neighborhood before, but had not realized how close it was as the crow flies (or as the dog runs) to my old neighborhood. I tried to get Brandi headed back from where we came, and she headed generally in that direction, but we were off by a few degrees and ended up in another neighborhood and I had to climb a fence in the presence of four barking dogs before we made it back to where we started. What an adventure! No wonder Brandi would disappear for hours.

Fast forward nearly a year to the following spring. I was at my mother’s house with my boys Drew and Jacob. Drew was nearly three years old and Jacob was about a year old. After awhile, we all, including my mother and stepfather, J.D., decided to head down to Nana’s house to visit. I had to take something down to the house so I sent the boys with J.D. Jacob was in the stroller; Drew was walking. Brandi went with them. I was not far behind, but when I got to Nana’s house I saw J.D. and Jacob, but no Drew. “Where’s Drew,” I asked. “He went around back with Brandy,” J.D. said. I hurried to investigate and saw neither dog nor child. “Drew! Drew! Drew!” It was beginning to get dark. I looked as far into the woods as I could, but saw nothing. I heard no reply to my calls. (Marian loves to watch all of the forensic shows on A&E and Court TV, etc. Murders. Kidnappings. Thoughts of these do nothing to allay one’s fears.)
I was somewhat panicked as I shouted out instructions to J.D. and my mother, who had arrived, and Nana. Nana watched Jacob; Mother went down the street; J.D. and I split up in the woods. My greatest fear was a pond in the woods which I hoped Drew would not fall into. Vaguely familiar with its location because it can be seen from the road, I ran there first. Nothing. I ran out to the road because I heard my mother calling. She had seen no signs of Drew. I quickly scanned the backyards along the edge of the woods, but still no Drew. The only thing I knew to do was retrace my jaunt with Brandi the previous year. Hopefully, she would follow the same course.
I ran as best as I could remember. Everything looked so different! Or rather, it all looked the same! Endless pine trees and a pine straw covered forest floor! Which way had I gone with Brandi? Finally, I found a familiar looking spot on the other edge of the woods. This was the neighborhood Brandi had taken me to! I ran out to the street and up the hilly road. My next fear was that Brandi would lead him down to the busy thoroughfare beyond the neighborhood. No signs of them down there. I headed back up the hill from the busy road and . . . there they were! A woman was with Drew asking people if he was their’s. She saw me and asked. I was hot and sweaty. I said, “Yes,” and hugged my boy. I don’t know how much time had elapsed; it had seemed forever. We retraced the way to Nana’s and were happily able to call off the search. The police where just about to have been called. And Marian (auspiciously) only learned of things after the fact! Drew, of course, did not understand the big deal. When told not to go off by himself like that anymore, he responded, “I wasn’t alone; Brandi was with me.”
Yes, and God was with him, too, as He had providentially been with me that day when I curiously followed a dog into the woods. I don’t know how things would have ended otherwise. Drew was not far; we probably would have found him safe anyway. But I was incredibly awed and comforted knowing that my God had prepared me for that evening. He had chosen to work my son’s recovery by my educated search through the woods because I had followed the family dog a year earlier! God’s providence is not some stale dogma formulated by a bunch of “dead white men.” It is the living and active care of the God who created the universe and cares for each of His creatures. May He be praised!