Story by Joseph J. Mazzella (Author)
My daughter and her little dog Lexie have a special bond. I can still remember the day we rescued her from the animal shelter. Lexie squirmed in my arms when I held her but the second I handed this eight pound pup to my daughter she settled down and snuggled in. My daughter cried tears of joy holding her on the way home and Lexie happily licked them away. Since then she and my daughter have been inseparable. They huddle under blankets on the couch and watch TV together. When my daughter climbs into bed, Lexie will carry her toys on top of the covers to join her. Lexie’s favorite spot is right in my daughter’s arms. If she could spend every second of the day there she would.
The other day I was watching Lexie while my daughter, who lives right up the road from me, did some housework. When it was time to go home I could see Lexie’s excitement as I leashed her up. I opened the back door and let her out, but when I turned to close it I felt the leash snap from my fingers. Lexie was sprinting away as fast as her four, furry legs could carry her. I called her name, but it was no use. She had spotted my daughter on her porch and was running home as hard as she could. My daughter leaned down to pick her up and Lexie leapt into her arms and joyfully licked her face. I smiled seeing she was back where she belonged.
In this life a lot of us are running too. Yet, seldom do we have such a wonderful destination in mind. Often we are just running away from things we don’t like and headed where we do not know. Wouldn’t it be better if we knew where we were going? Wouldn’t it be better if we knew we were headed home? As you travel through this life always keep love in your heart and your destination in your mind. Heaven is our home. And this life is just a long journey back there. Take each step with joy then and know that God’s loving arms await you at the end.
