If cats have nine lives...
...how many do hamsters have??
Introducing the newest member of the Hill Household:
Thanksgiving Benny Whiskers Runaway.
His name gets longer with each life he gains.
In case you want to skip the full version, here is the moral of the story: Be careful what you pray for! I have been praying for opportunities for Natalie to develop her faith in God. Little did I know my prayer would be answered by a rodent. Albeit, a very cute one. Really, I wanted chickens. But I also want kids to be old enough (*responsible enough*) to take care of them, so I figured Natalie's great desire for a hamster would be a good training opportunity. Oh, how limited was my vision. If you have time, read on :)
After the pair of tiny Robo hamsters, Natalie's first pets, went into the next world via the household toddler, we waited a good long while before venturing back into hamster ownership. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and all needed qualifications had been met, so we took the plunge and Natalie adopted a Syrian, much hardier breed. She named him Thanksgiving, as her heart was overflowing with gratitude for a second chance.
He came home with our turkey that night, and within 15 minutes of being played with, he went missing. Panic ensued. Bookshleves were overturned, hamster bedding was scattered all over the place, closets were emptied. Finally he was recovered, but some severe threats were issued. Escapes would not be tolerated. I was betting that he would last a month at best. I really didn't care either way, because I had a lot of cooking to do that night!
Fast forward to the week before Christmas. We are up to our eyeballs in the various preparations to leave for Idaho. Natalie had arranged for a hamster sitter (one of her best friends), and had very carefully typed out instructions complete with a hand drawn diagram of how to care for him. It was very sweet.
The morning we were to leave for Idaho, the hamster was no where to be found. Maybe he got wind of the babysitter plans. More bookshelves upturned. Many prayers offered. That night, it's time to leave. Still, no hamster. The babysitter friend was very disappointed.
When we were 4 hours down the road, we got a call from ADT, the security company. Our alarm had sounded! Not putting 2 and 2 together, we asked for police to investigate since we weren't going to turn around at that point. Then it dawned on us... hamster was alive and well enough to set off the motion detector!!
So, her hope reignited, Natalie prayed on daily. She had left the cage open with food inside. When Charles & Mara came to check on the house a few days later, they reported that the food looked like it had been eaten.
When we returned 10 days later, still no sign of the little rodent. A few nights I even stayed up to listen for him, since he is most active at night. A week went by, and Natalie continued to pray while the rest of us had pretty much assumed he'd found a way out of the house into the great unforgiving outdoors.
Then one morning, Natalie heard scratching sounds in the wall and she just knew it was him. We investigated and finally found a hole in the very back of the pantry. Natalie got some food to try to coax him out. When she saw his little whiskers peeking out, the way she pleaded with him with such tenderness and love, my mother heart melted. I could tell, she truly loved this little creature. He was pretty reluctant to come out, but she was so patiently persistent.
At that point, I went to the other room and just prayed for God to bless her with the desires of her heart. At that moment, he came out. I couldn't help crying. Not really because of the hamster but because of the faith of my child. I also realized that my prayers for my daughter to have experiences to increase her faith had been answered, too.
One of my favorite chapters of scripture is Luke 15, where Christ shares the parables of the lost & found sheep, coin, and the Prodigal Son. These are such powerful examples of God's love for each of his children individually - for each individual's most heartfelt desires. How much more that means to me now as a parent. There is nothing of our needs that escapes his attention or care. How sweet it is - truly, I know of nothing sweeter - than to see my children experiencing for themselves God's love for them.
So, little Thanksgiving lives on. Truly, it is by small means that great things are brought to pass!! Tee hee hee.
Introducing the newest member of the Hill Household:
Thanksgiving Benny Whiskers Runaway.
His name gets longer with each life he gains.
In case you want to skip the full version, here is the moral of the story: Be careful what you pray for! I have been praying for opportunities for Natalie to develop her faith in God. Little did I know my prayer would be answered by a rodent. Albeit, a very cute one. Really, I wanted chickens. But I also want kids to be old enough (*responsible enough*) to take care of them, so I figured Natalie's great desire for a hamster would be a good training opportunity. Oh, how limited was my vision. If you have time, read on :)
After the pair of tiny Robo hamsters, Natalie's first pets, went into the next world via the household toddler, we waited a good long while before venturing back into hamster ownership. It was the day before Thanksgiving, and all needed qualifications had been met, so we took the plunge and Natalie adopted a Syrian, much hardier breed. She named him Thanksgiving, as her heart was overflowing with gratitude for a second chance.
He came home with our turkey that night, and within 15 minutes of being played with, he went missing. Panic ensued. Bookshleves were overturned, hamster bedding was scattered all over the place, closets were emptied. Finally he was recovered, but some severe threats were issued. Escapes would not be tolerated. I was betting that he would last a month at best. I really didn't care either way, because I had a lot of cooking to do that night!
Fast forward to the week before Christmas. We are up to our eyeballs in the various preparations to leave for Idaho. Natalie had arranged for a hamster sitter (one of her best friends), and had very carefully typed out instructions complete with a hand drawn diagram of how to care for him. It was very sweet.
The morning we were to leave for Idaho, the hamster was no where to be found. Maybe he got wind of the babysitter plans. More bookshelves upturned. Many prayers offered. That night, it's time to leave. Still, no hamster. The babysitter friend was very disappointed.
When we were 4 hours down the road, we got a call from ADT, the security company. Our alarm had sounded! Not putting 2 and 2 together, we asked for police to investigate since we weren't going to turn around at that point. Then it dawned on us... hamster was alive and well enough to set off the motion detector!!
So, her hope reignited, Natalie prayed on daily. She had left the cage open with food inside. When Charles & Mara came to check on the house a few days later, they reported that the food looked like it had been eaten.
When we returned 10 days later, still no sign of the little rodent. A few nights I even stayed up to listen for him, since he is most active at night. A week went by, and Natalie continued to pray while the rest of us had pretty much assumed he'd found a way out of the house into the great unforgiving outdoors.
Then one morning, Natalie heard scratching sounds in the wall and she just knew it was him. We investigated and finally found a hole in the very back of the pantry. Natalie got some food to try to coax him out. When she saw his little whiskers peeking out, the way she pleaded with him with such tenderness and love, my mother heart melted. I could tell, she truly loved this little creature. He was pretty reluctant to come out, but she was so patiently persistent.
At that point, I went to the other room and just prayed for God to bless her with the desires of her heart. At that moment, he came out. I couldn't help crying. Not really because of the hamster but because of the faith of my child. I also realized that my prayers for my daughter to have experiences to increase her faith had been answered, too.
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So, little Thanksgiving lives on. Truly, it is by small means that great things are brought to pass!! Tee hee hee.
What a sweet story. Reminds me of a conference talk years ago where the speaker talked about relationships with animals being one of the elements of a happy life. She'll be ready for chickens in no time!
ReplyDeleteI love it! I will read this to the kids. They will love hearing this story. We miss you all terribly! Much love!
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