by M. R. Wells
I was in the midst of a home remodel at the time. My contractor checked the traps beneath some sinks for me. No emerald. Two weeks passed, and I figured the jewel was lost forever.
One day I was out shopping for new kitchen appliances for the remodel. My cell phone rang. It was my contractor—calling with amazing news. A worker helping to install a glass door on a shower in one of my bathrooms had found my emerald on the tub’s drain. I was in shock. I’d used that tub since the emerald had gone missing. By all accounts, that stone should have been long gone. But there it was! God had not only restored my treasure but multiplied my faith—and my contractor’s faith as well!
Jesus’s disciples thought they had lost a treasure too—one more precious by far than a dog or a jewel. They thought they’d lost their beloved Lord Jesus to death. They didn’t fully understand what He had taught them. They didn’t quite believe He would be raised from the dead. Even when His body went missing from the tomb, some thought it had simply been moved.
Mary Magdalene was one of those. When a pair of angels appeared to her and asked why she was crying, she told them, “They have taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where they have put him” (John 20:13). But she and Jesus’s other disciples soon learned that God had miraculously restored His Son, their Messiah—and through Him, would do the same for all who trusted Him for their salvation.
Precious as Beasley was to her people, glad as I was to get my jewel back, the greater treasure was seeing God at work. I am so grateful my God is a God of restoration. And I am grateful that through Christ’s death, all those who would be lost to sin and death are “found” to spend eternity with Him.
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).
Consider This:
Have you ever lost a treasure (pet, object, person) that God restored? How did He do it? How has it affected your faith? How can you pray for restoration in your own and others’ lives?
Dog Tails…er, Tales…by Author
M.R. Wells
A Crate and a Manger
42
A Time to Wean
109
And the Dog Came Back
118
Anything but His Toes
56
The Dog Not Chosen
67
The Dog Who Wouldn’t Fight
15
Don’t Pick at It or It Won’t Get Well
179
The Facebook Bark
208
God’s Plum Jam
230
The Gospel According to Munchie
222
Jazzmin’s “Ian Watch”
33
Life Preserver with Paws
88
Marley and Goliath
215
Munchie Gets a Leg Up
238
Playpen Theology
161
Puppy in a Haystack
247
The Saga of Walter Brennan
26
Skunk Wars
140
Why Wally Bloomed
193
Kris Young
A Different Kind of Leash
49
The Appointed Time
99
The Beagle and the Bus
70
The Best Gift Ever
226
Chasing Buggies
197
The Dog Who Played with Fire
188
Driving on Faith
78
Dream Dog Guarantee
91
Freeing Shadow
22
Hook, Line, and Milk Jug
153
Hopelessly Devoted to You
37
I Am the Tailgate
121
If the Dog Says “I Do”
136
No Other Dogs Before Me
144
Now You See Her, Now You Don’t
113
Paper Dog Delight
212
Squirrels and Girls
175
Tag, You’re It
242
Vengeance Is Mine Sayeth the Dog
165
Connie Fleishauer
All Her Children
74
Diablo, or Not?
45
Dog of Good Cheer
234
The Dog That Stuck Closer Than a Brother
60
Gentledog Stuart
133
The Gift of Life
19
Gone with the Wyndy
184
His Master’s Keeper
126
The Making of a Champion
157
Papillon Heaven Can Wait
95
The Pup That Wouldn’t Give Up
205
Scary Larry
105
Short, But Not Shortchanged
219
Spitfire Spit and Polished
148
Squitchey Love
30
Stuart’s Heart Vision Goggles
53
To Stray or Not to Stray
171
Trust and Be on TV
84
Meet the Authors
M.R. Wells has written extensively for children’s television and video programming, including several Disney shows, the animated PBS series Adventures from The Book of Virtues, and the action video series Bibleman. She shares her Southern California home with the kitties and puppies she adores: Muffin, Bo, Munchie, Becca, and Marley.
Kris Young has worked as a screenwriter for more than 20 years and currently teaches screenwriting at the LA Film Studies Center and UCLA. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Celine, and son, Skye.
Connie Fleishauer is a teacher and writer and enjoys filmmaking. She is also trained in voice-over work. She is the wife of a California farmer, a mother of three, a mother-in-law of two, and a grandma of one. Currently she and her husband care for Stuart, a Welsh corgi, and Squitchey, a little rescued dog.
More Books by the Authors
Four Paws from Heaven
Animal lovers will celebrate this pack of short dog tales and human stories. The enjoyable devotions provide entertaining and valuable lessons of faith, loyalty, and joy gleaned while walking through life alongside four paws.
Paws for Reflection
More than 50 humorous, poignant, and spiritually insightful stories are packed together under themed sections, including “Paws for Love: Curl Up with the Master.” This gathering of short devotions reveals the faithfulness and companionship we get from canines and shares related insights for getting the most out of life.
Purr-ables from Heaven
Cats are quirky, but we adore them anyway—perhaps because they’re a lot like us. This delightful book of devotions illustrates how even the most contradictory creatures can thrive in the presence of a loving, ever-patient owner. Each humorous and encouraging tale inspires us to delight in the Lord and lap up His loving presence.
The Cat Lover’s Devotional
Cat lovers will find inspirational stories of feline devotion, antics, and quirks in this warmhearted devotional. Each reading highlights cat behaviors that reflect God’s heart. Readers will discover powerful insights on relationships, adoption, love, and patience as they open their hearts to the unique felines God blesses people with.
About the Publisher
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To learn more about books by M.R. Wells,
Kris Young, and Connie Fleishauer,
or to read sample chapters,
visit www.fourpawsfromheaven.com
or log on to our website:
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
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