RICHARD

Richard was a small shorthaired dog that came to live at our house for a time. He had a good disposition and loved Morgan. He and Morgan were inseparable. They played outside together, got grounded together, bathed together and ate at the table together. Richard was pretty amazing. Richard was invisible to everyone but Morgan.

Richard loved to tag along with us to the park. We would unload the kid’s bikes and Morgan and Richard would be off, racing from one end of the park to the other. Richard didn’t seem to mind the other dogs or kids in the park. He was right at home anywhere and with everyone.

Occasionally Morgan was allowed to play in the front yard. He was pretty good to stay within the set boundaries. One afternoon I looked out to see Morgan past the boundaries. “Morgan, come in and go to your room. You know where the boundaries are and you are outside of them.” He parked his bike and without a word went to his room. I closed the garage door and came in to hear him crying in his bedroom. It was unusual for him to cry so I opened his door and asked, “Why are you crying?” He wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “When you closed the garage door, you left Richard outside.” That statement brought new tears to his eyes. “Well, let’s go get Richard.” A smile broke out on Morgan’s face. I pushed the button and as the garage door began to raise Morgan yelled, “Richard, come on.” He turned and he and Richard went back to their room. ‘Was I actually beginning to see Richard too’?

Richard rarely chose to ride in the car. Regardless of the speed we were traveling, Richard ran beside the car, never falling behind. He was one fast dog. He knew how to dodge the traffic and he had his own GPS. From time to time Morgan would point out the window and announce, “Wow did you see that?” “Richard is flying.” “Look Mom.” As I would look to where his finger was pointing I thought I spotted something.

One evening when we were working in the yard Morgan asked, “Mom have you noticed Richard hasn’t been here?” I thought for a moment and sure enough Richard hadn’t been a main player in our home for several days. “Yes Morgan, where is he?” “Well Mom, he has been very sick and is in the hospital. He will be coming home today. A helicopter will be bringing him. So watch the sky.” With that he turned and went back to play. As I worked in the yard I would turn occasionally and watch Morgan as he would be watching the sky. Several hours later he shouted, “Look, look it’s Richard. He’s home. I’ve missed him so much.” I think I missed him too.

As quickly as Richard had come, one day he was gone. No longer could I hear Morgan visiting with him in his room. No longer were he and Morgan inseparable. As quietly as he entered our lives, one day he was no where to be found.

Psalms 139:7-12 “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.”