God, that’s not exactly what I meant: but Thanks!

I had been sick and bed ridden with bronchitis for three days and cabin fever was setting in. So I got up on a Saturday morning in December finally wanting to get out of the house, grabbed my camera and headed for a drive. Feeling a little alone, fatigued, and maybe a little hopeless about my future, I decided that a good subject for my lens that day would be abandoned things.

As I headed south of Nashville, a recent conversation with my sister entered my mind. It was desperate times for me, I had gone through a heart wrenching breakup that I was still finding hard to let go. She asked me if I had ever prayed for a good man to come into my life. I laughed at the question as I realized... NO! I had prayed for everyone else in my life but I couldn't recall a time that I had a specific conversation with God about me that didn't involve helping others in the process.

So after about an hour of contemplating this idea, I decided to say a little prayer of my own. It was as simple as it gets.

"God. Please send a good man in my life."

Check... Moving on.

Then I realized where do I move on to? I was lost. Somewhere in the middle of my turns I had literally lost my way. Thank goodness for maps on my iphone... nope, it was lost too without a signal. I have always thought of myself as directionally intelligent so I figured I could just find my way back home. When I came upon a stop sign, right felt right, so I took it. After 10 miles of nothing but brush and farmland, I realized it wasn't right. I hadn't passed another car or structure in forever.

Then about 20 feet in front of my truck, out of nowhere, a little yellow puppy crossed the one lane road. I slammed on my breaks and watched the sweetest little black masked face stare up at me. The puppy hovered down in the leaves on the other side as I got out of my truck. It didn't run, no collar and what the hell was it doing out here? My heart began to race as all of the terrible thoughts of being abandoned on a cold December day set in. Someone must have dropped it. Bastards!

I slowly approached it while snapping pictures of the cute little face. I picked it up and realized it was a boy. He was completely flea and tick infested but not skinny. He must not have been out here too long. I found a storage box that I keep in my truck full of auto cleaning supplies and dumped it out and put the little nugget in it. As we drove off, I petted him while telling him everything was going to be ok and we would find him a good loving home

I raced to find a cell phone signal so I could get us back to Nashville and figure out this whole situation. Once I had a few bars, I began calling people that could google search where to take him to find him a home. After an hour drive, I finally reached a Petco. I took him inside in the container, grabbed a manager and said "I have no idea what I'm doing here! I just found this puppy and I think he has fleas". The manager was brilliant. He grabbed a cart, put the little guy in it and off we went through the aisles picking up flea bombs for my truck, a collar, a leash, a few toys, food, and then he told me to wash him in Dawn soap to get rid of the fleas. He was too young for treatments.

After a few more calls to closed vet offices, closed rescue shelters, I decided the little guy could come stay in my guest bathroom for the night.

I pulled 32 ticks off his little 10 lb body, washed him with Dawn soap about five times until all the fleas were dead. I put down an old blanket in the bathroom along with his new toys and I curled right up beside him as he licked my face to show gratitude for the love he had received. Needless to say, we bonded.

I wasn't ready for a dog though. So I posted a few pics of him on social media hoping to find him a home by Sunday. But then I talked to my family and friends who all believed this WAS the answer to the prayer I so simply requested hours earlier.

Ok. I obviously need to be a little more specific with God from now on.

But they were right. By Sunday I had named him Chance. He hadn't had an accident in the house, he was good on a leash and he curled up next to me begging me to throw out my wish list of a dog that doesn't shed. I was hooked on his sweet brown eyes and his playfulness. I was in love.

Over the last year and a half of being an obsessed dog mom of a sweet German Shepherd/Min Pin mix, I have come to realize that God did answer my prayer, not exactly the way I intended, but exactly how I needed. He had sent me the PERFECT MAN! So I'm here to say they do exist, just not in human form.

I think if we expand our minds a little about our past, we can find other ways that we've been taken care of in the way we needed. If I had stayed with the selfish dumbass that broke my heart and who I shed too many undeserved tears over, I wouldn't have done half the things I have experienced. I wouldn't have taken the chances of moving to Nashville, taking another job where I get to bring my dog into the office, I wouldn't have gone on solo trips, I wouldn't have found the best Chance of all and I would have lost myself in the process of trying to keep a relationship I shouldn't have been in.

THANKS God for not answering my prayer in the way I meant. THANKS for giving me something so much more. THANKS for allowing me the opportunities to see things more clearly. And THANKS for bringing the cutest little nugget ever into my life.

So, when you say a prayer, be specific... OR just maybe, allow God to do His thing! It just might surprise you on how awesome His answers can be!

Keep Wandering!

Gigi