Odd Happenings

August 23, 2023

One of the first odd things that happened to me was when I was four. I was walking in the grassy common area of our apartment complex. I suppose my parents were somewhere nearby, but I had struck off by myself down the sidewalk that wrapped around the common area.

A beagle came up to me and wagged his tail. Mr. White, who also lived in the small complex, joined me as I patted the dog. He and I exchanged pleasantries, and then seemingly out of the blue, he asked me, “Do you see the split in both of this dog’s nostrils?” “Yes, sir,” I answered. Then he asked me, “Why does this dog have split nostrils?” I had never been asked “why” about anything. I was always the one asking why. Mr. White wanted to know about the dog’s nostrils, but how could I know? I was only a little kid.

The only thing I did know for sure was that all the dogs I had ever seen had splits in their nostrils. I remember as if yesterday that I answered Mr. White by saying, “I do not know why this dog has a split in his nostrils, but I do know that all dogs i have ever seen, have them.”

I now believe Mr. White wanted to see how I would answer such a question. I have done the same thing as an adult with children. But the encounter stayed with me because no one had ever asked me “why” in all my life of four years.

As I ponder this odd event, I believe that Mr. White’s question struck a cord deep within me ... something that would not be brought to life for years to come but was nevertheless in my soul. I believe his question was a forerunner of the countless times in my life that dear souls would call upon me to answer the question, “Why?”

Inquiry: Have you experienced an odd event that resonated in your soul?

Dear God,

Thank you for Mr. White’s question because, even as a soul child, it stirred my soul and sparked my purpose. Amen.

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