I want to share with you how I know that God is working through His people. Well, at least the ones whom are willing to be a vessel for Him, and the ones whom will go with the flow when PLANS HAVE CHANGED OR HAVE BEEN REARRANGED.

 

I promise you with my hand up in the air that this devotion is the truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

 

Now, on with the story.  I just returned from a ministry trip/short vacation/supposedly deliver a dog to the airport.

 

 

I would be leaving North Carolina with Iris Lucas, who would be traveling with me, as I Ministered and Preached, and enjoying a short vacation. But now, I would soon learn that things have a way of changing at any moment.  I would now be taking Iris to see her granddaughter, on the way to to deliver a dog, and to preach.  You know, from North Carolina, via Florida, via Georgia, via Louisiana, back to Georgia to airport again, then home.

 

Well, first God has a since of humor for sure. My older daughter got my younger daughter a puppy. (I should have known that I would wind up in the middle of the whole ordeal.) As a matter of fact, since I have returned home, I have informed everyone involved, that if they are thinking of getting anyone a dog, and it will involve me, STOP and KICK themselves in the backside. LOL

Now, why she, my younger, could not have gotten a puppy in California, beats me.  So, how do you get a dog from North Carolina to California? Ha, airplane! How does the dog get on the airplane? Ha! Mama since you are going that way, would you please drop Cali (the puppy) off in Atlanta at the airport? Oh, this puppy is not flying cargo, but on a special airline that flies animals only. You know, first class, private attendent, and you can see and check on your animal from your computer. Check link out below. Oh, by the way, they fly us coach when we go to visit them. Sometimes the planes I have ridden on, I think they must have gotten a good price from the local crop duster.  LOL

Ann Hopewell and Cali in the Tractor Supply

Now, this is a special puppy. Even a couple in the Tractor Supply told Ann Hopewell and myself this puppy needed to go to Hollywood, in which I said, "give me until the 24th of February and she is out of here."  They laughed when I told them that her human mama lives in Los Angeles, and that Cali would be flying out then to Hollywood.  Her mama only lives about 5 miles from Hollywood. The gentleman said, " I would never in a million years have expected that answer." Hey before this story is over, I would never in a million years  have expected so many of the following events to take place.

 

This is when I decided, well, let me call Iris and see if she would like to leave a few days earlier, maybe February 21st, and I would take her to Florida to see her grandchildren.  Then we would leave on February 23rd to go to Georgia and visit some friends, especially one whom had said, "Pat, if you could just come and lay hands on me and pray, I know God will heal me." ( Friends, please pray for my friend, Frances, in Georgia. Oh, because of Cali, and now me, we may be on the road to discover what maybe causing Frances' sickness.) Then we would leave their house in Georgia on the  morning of the 24th, to drop Cali (puppy) in Atlanta to fly to California. Then, on to Louisiana, where I would Minister God's Word.

 

Here is where God's sense of humor comes into the picture.  Even before we got to Florida, I received a call that tells me Cali's flight has been cancelled.  When I received the call, I looked at Iris and said, "God has a sense of humor." Yes, that was the first words out of my mouth. Praise God, I was prayed up, or I may have not felt that way.  Here I am, going to preach, and now I have a dog to take with me, so I can then return to Atlanta at a later date to put her back on a rescheduled flight.

 

So I called my sister, Ruby, and said, "Ruby , I can come your way now, but I will have a puppy with me, is that okay?" She agreed, no problem.  So off we go to continue our trip. Pastor Pat, Iris, and now Cali. The Three Amigos.

 

 

By now, Cali has become very close to her human grandma, and I have become pretty fond of her.  She has had the best Veterinary Care, medicines, shots, flea and tick treatment, and of course her Heart Guard.  Before this story ends, you will see that Grandma Pat should have been treated also with Frontline for ticks and fleas. And, Praise God, I did have my Heart Guarded.

 

We arrived in Florida, where I dropped Iris off at her grandchildren, and Cali and I headed to a hotel.

 

So, now my trip involves me getting up early each morning for the next few days, so Cali and I can pray as we take our morning walk, and Cali taking care of a little extra business herself in the beautiful Florida weather. (Oh, except the day it rained). Then we would go back to our room, feed Cali her breakfast, study God's Word, get dressed, and go to spend some time with Iris and her family.  I left Cali in the hotel room, returning several times a day to let her out of her kennel to go potty. Well, sometimes I did not have to let her out. Yes, a 10 week old puppy, who weighed a total of 9 lbs at the time, suddenly became,  I truly believe, Houdini.  She would unzip her portable kennel. ( A big kennel for a 50lb dog, so she would have plenty of room.) I should have known, because this is the same puppy, that at 2 lbs, pushed her blanket and toy up to the corner of a 2 foot high 30 gallon container and would jump down to the floor. I have video to prove it.

 

There were times I was so glad I had just finished praying for the housekeeper, or the hotel clerk, or ministering to one of the guests, who would come up to me and ask me to pray for them, because someone had told them that there is a preacher that would be glad to pray for them. I think that few days in Gainesville, Florida, everyone decided I had the means to solve all their  problems. I would tell them I cannot do anything, but I know a God who can. The housekeeper grabbed me one morning, and started dancing. She said, "you prayed for me, and God healed me. Praise God!"

 

Oh, why was I glad I had just prayed with someone? Because, when I walked into the room, Houdini had managed to unzip her kennel to look up a number in the phone book. I figured that either she could not find the number she was looking for, and she got disgusted, or  pizza delivery boy would not deliver a pizza to her, so she took it out on the 6 inch thick telephone book and chewed it to pieces. Do you know how many pieces there are to pick up from a shredded 6 inch  thick telephone book?

I DO!

 

Oh, she is also a very good advisor on what you need to wear for the day. If she does not like what you have picked out, including shoes, she takes them to her kennel, and gets you something else that she likes better for you to wear. I am so glad I took three pair of tennis shoes with me on this trip.

 

 

While walking Cali, everyone fell in love with her. The hotel owner, housekeeper, guests, yard workers, and each and every person she came in contact with. But, while walking her I managed to lose a necklace that I had been wearing for over 28 years. Joe wears the other half. It is a heart that states best friends with the date we got married and our names engraved on it. (June 18, 1977) Oh, the necklace was found, but not where you expected. You will find out later on in this devotion. No, it was not in Cali's kennel, maybe the only thing that did not get into her kennel on that trip.

 

Friends when you are friendly to others and they see God in you, they will go out of their way to help you. The hotel had all their employees, including the people blowing the leaves off the sidewalk, looking for my necklace. I told them I could have bought another one for under $50.00, but that one was just sentimental.  They were so determined to find that necklace for me.

 

Remember, when you show God's Love, God will always have someone there to help you when you need help. Someone asked me if it frightened me to be alone at the hotel. I said, "no." I know that I have a big God, and He is in control. I know that when I pray, study His word, and take the time to have an intimate relationship with Him, He will watch over me. He will protect me from anything that tries to come against me and harm me. So why should I be afraid?

 

Psalm 91

 ¹ He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
       will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 

 ² I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
       my God, in whom I trust."

 ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
       and from the deadly pestilence.

 ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
       and under his wings you will find refuge;
       his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
       nor the arrow that flies by day,

 ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
       nor the plague that destroys at midday.

 ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
       ten thousand at your right hand,
       but it will not come near you.

 

Part 2 of the story will be tomorrow's devotion. Remember, we have not even reached the flea and tick part yet. And remember, it was not Cali that had the problem. LOL

Oh, the names have not been changed to protect the innocent.