Lost and Found

"Stryker! Where are you?" Zion tried to hold back the tears as he searched the barn for his beagle pup. Zion had made the mistake of opening the front door before he'd placed Stryker in his harness. Now Stryker was gone. "Stryker, come here!" Zion looked in each of the open stalls, hoping to see that cute white snout and those curious brown eyes peek out through the hay."Did you find him?" Dad walked into the barn carrying a rain poncho and two flashlights."He's not in here, Dad." Zion wiped at his tears with his sleeve. "Where could he be? It's getting dark outside, and it's starting to rain."Squatting down to Zion's height, Dad looked him in the eye. "I don't think Stryker's gone far, Zion. We've got a big farm, and he's a little pup. But don't worry. We'll keep looking until we find him."Zion nodded, wiped his eyes once more, and followed Dad down the path toward the pond. The rain pelted his poncho, and the wind kept tugging his hood off his head, but Zion was determined not to go home without Stryker.Two hours later, Zion and Dad found Stryker huddled beneath a thicket of pine trees at the far end of the cornfield. His coat was covered with mud, but his tail beat a steady rhythm on Zion's chest when he scooped him up in a hug."Come on, buddy." Dad took Stryker in his strong arms. "Let's get home so we can all get warm and dry.""You know something, Dad," Zion said as he followed his dad home. "What we did tonight for Stryker is a lot like what God does for us.""You think so?""Sure." Zion looked at the moon that was now peeking out from behind the clouds. "God loves us so much that He doesn't want us to be lost and without Him. Jesus came to find us and save us." "That's right," said Dad. As they reached their front porch, Zion smiled as he opened the door. "It feels really good to be loved that much, doesn't it, Dad?"His dad smiled back. "It sure does." -Vickie Price Taylor