Miracle on Elk Bear Street

Really, this is a story of a Miracle. A little background- over Christmas break, my Mom and Sister corner me and say (in front of Bailey Rose), "We think it is time for a hamster!" Grreeeaaat. So, Bailey Rose has some Christmas money and works odd jobs for me and GrandTone and in a matter of a couple of weeks, she has enough money to purchase a cage, bedding and food- TaDa! You buy all that, you get the hamster for free! The random hamster becomes "Buddy" and Bailey Rose is in Love. I must admit, Buddy is very sweet and gentle and never once offers to even nibble. Three days into his life at the Penderosa, Buddy is happily rolling along in his little hamster ball and cruises into the kitchen. Our kitchen floor is tile and apparently the bumps between tile knocked off the lid to the ball. YES!!!! It knocked OFF the lid. Now, Buddy is not the only pet in our home. We have two geriatric cats (they could care less that there is a mouse in the house) and we have an equally geriatric Dauchsund. She, on the other hand, is Very interested in Buddy. And when I say interested I mean that she thinks he would be lovely with a side of brown rice and maybe some ketsup. Anyway, you know how this story goes, right? The dog walks into the kitchen, sees the hamster and........ Michael walks into the kitchen shortly after and sees Buddy, lying on his side, wet with Dauchsund drool and going toward the Light. Michael starts to react with something along the lines of , "OH NO! OH NO!" Now I run to the kitchen and Michael holds BaileyRose off to the side. By this time, Bailey Rose has figured out what all the shouting is about and she starts to cry. I go and pick up the dead hamster and begin looking for the fatal wound.
Holy Hamster! He starts moving his little hamster legs and blinking his little hamster eyes! He is Alive! I tell you what- we immediately prayed for that rodent. Per Bailey Rose's request. If you've never laid hands on a hamster before, it is quite an experience.

After much ado, a night spent in the recovery ward (also known as mine and Michael's bathroom) and some tape on the top of the hamster ball, Buddy is alive and well.

Horrible as this was, it was a great teachable moment on the Love that Michael and I have for Bailey Rose and for the Love that Christ has for us. Bailey Rose felt, first hand, what true love felt like. She glimpsed our love for her and even more importantly, Christ's love for all of us. We pointed out that as much as she loved this little hamster, how much more does Jesus care for us?

Think Christ doesn't work miracles anymore? Folks, come pay us a visit- we have one in a cage!