The Wolf-child

  There once was a family with a mother and father and four beautiful daughters. The middle daughter was a wolf-child. From her youth she had a spark in her that drove her to stubborn measures and caused her moments of grief. However, she knew her family loved her and they truly did. Their love came from their Father in heaven and it was twice as strong as the most stubborn moments of the wolf-child.

   One day, the family awoke to find that Wolf-child was not in her bed. In a panic they searched everywhere for her. Many, many members of their pack gave up hours of their day to search high and low, near and far for Wolf-child. She was loved far more than she knew.

    After hours and hours of searching and fervent prayers, Wolf-child was returned to her family. But she was too blinded by her stubbornness to see what she had done. Cold and wet with sores on her paws she stood in the corner and hissed at those who had looked so desperately for her. She wove her tail of the past 18 hours and her family sat in shock and horror. Wolf-child had been in the very claws of creatures far more strong and vile than she and she could not even see through her own indignation to realize what the Father had saved her from. No, indeed she was not sorry and she would do it all again.

    Shocked and stunned, Wolf-child’s family did not know what to do. How could they not see that all this time she had been sharpening her claws for a moment such as this? Her mother held her in her lap while Wolf-child shuddered at her touch. Her father got down on his hands and knees to wash the wounds that Wolf-child had given herself. She shrank back at the pain and requested sympathy for these wounds, but none could be given for she could still not see that she had done this to herself.

     The days continued on, but Wolf-child’s family feared for her. There was no sign of remorse, in fact, the stubborn spark in her grew into a raging fire and Wolf-child lashed out at her family’s attempt to demonstrate love for her. The spark would dim and Wolf-child would join the family for a few hours, but then, like a gunshot, Wolf-child would lash out again.

    Wolf-child barred her teeth and words of hate foamed around the corners of her mouth as she growled from the depths of her soul. Out came her claws but in her blindness she could not see how deep were the cuts that her words were making.

   Her family was so afraid. What were they to do?

  After weeks of praying and seeking the counsel of those wiser than them, the parents of Wolf-child had come upon a decision. It would certainly be one of the most difficult decisions for their whole pack, but the Father had led them to this, and they knew it was the right thing to do. They must send Wolf-child away, not forever, but for a time. Though it was hard to imagine living through the days without Wolf-child, it was a small exchange for the years they would lose if they did nothing.

    Where they were sending Wolf-child would give her the tools that she needed to keep the spark from catching and burning down everything around her. Her family so desperately wanted to be the ones that could give her those tools, but as hard as it was to admit it, they could not.

   Not sure of how she would respond, Wolf-child’s parents sat her down to tell her what they must do. To their surprise, Wolf-child dissolved into a pup before their very eyes. She couldn’t imagine leaving the pack, even though that is what she had tried and threatened to do. It was very hard for them all, but even Wolf-child could see that she needed help.

     The day came when Wolf-child had to say good-bye to those who loved her the most here on this earth, but they all knew that it was not forever. Wolf-child’s family would call and write and visit, and they knew that though at this time they would physically be apart, this would ultimately bring them closer together. For time would prove that Wolf-child was not actually a Wolf-child after all, but a lost little sheep. And she had a Shepherd that would leave behind the other 99 of his fluffy charges to bring her back into His fold.

12 “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? 13 If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 14 So it is not the will [a]of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” ~Matt. 18:12-14