"Puppy
Size"
This is one of the
neatest stories you will ever hear.
You will know precisely what this
little girl is talking about at the
end (you'll want to share this one
with your loved ones and special
friends)!
'Danielle keeps repeating it over and
over again. We've been back to this
animal shelter at least five times.
It has been weeks now since we
started all of this,' the mother told
the volunteer.
'What is it she keeps asking for?'
the volunteer asked.
'Puppy size!' replied the mother.
'Well, we have plenty of puppies, if
that's what she's looking for.'
'I know...we have seen most of them,'
the mom said in frustration...
Just then Danielle came walking into
the office
'Well, did you find one?' asked her
mom.
'No,
not this time,' Danielle said with
sadness in her voice. 'Can we come
back on the weekend?'
The two women looked at each other,
shook their heads and laughed.
'You never know when we will get more
dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a
supply,' the volunteer said.
Danielle took her mother by the hand
and headed to the door. 'Don't worry,
I'll find one this weekend,' she
said.
Over the next few days both mom and
dad had long conversations with her.
They both felt she was being too
particular. 'It's this weekend or we'
re not looking any more,' Dad finally
said in frustration.
'We don't want to hear anything more
about puppy size either,' Mom added.
Sure enough, they were the first ones
in the shelter on Saturday morning.
By now Danielle knew her way around,
so she ran right for the section that
housed the smaller dogs.
Tired of the routine, mom sat in the
small waiting room at the end of the
first row of cages.
There was an observation window so
you could see the animals during
times when visitors weren't
permitted.
Danielle walked slowly from cage to
cage, kneeling periodically to take a
closer look.
One by one, the dogs were brought out
and she held each one.
One by one she said, 'Sorry, you're
not the one.'
It was the last cage on this last day
in search of the perfect pup.
The volunteer opened the cage door
and the child carefully picked up the
dog and held it closely. This time
she took a little longer.
'Mom, that's it! I found the right
puppy! He's the one! I know it!' she
screamed with joy. 'It's puppy size!'
'But it's the same size as all the
other puppies you held over the last
few weeks,' Mom said.
'No not size... the puppy sighs. When
I held him in my arms, he sighed,'
she said.
'Don't you remember? When I asked you
one day what love is, you told me
love depends on the sighs of your
heart. The more you love, the bigger
the sigh!'
The
two women looked at each other for a
moment. Mom didn't know whether to
laugh or cry. As she stooped down to
hug the child, she did a little of
both.
'Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh.
When you and Daddy come home from
work and hug each other, you both
sigh. I knew I would find the right
puppy if it sighed when I held it in
my arms,' she said. Then holding the
puppy up close to her face she said,
'Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs
of his heart!'
Close your eyes for a moment and
think about the love that makes you
sigh. I not only find it in the arms
of my loved ones, but in the caress
of a sunset, the kiss of the
moonlight and the gentle brush of
cool air on a hot day.
They are the sighs of God! Take the
time to stop and listen; you will be
surprised at what you hear. 'Life is
not measured by the breaths we take,
but by the moments that take our
breath away.'
May each of you feel and hear the
sighs of God...
