The Long Way Home
By Wanita Zimmerman
Coincidence? Divine Intervention?
Arizona Highway 89 from Prescott in the middle of the State to the small settlement of Ashfork on Interstate 40 is a desolate area of brush, mesquite, sand and cacti. The days are quite mild this time of year, but the nights, at an altitude of over 5,000 feet may be very cold.
Late in October Kim Zimmerman and his wife, Jeanne, traveled north on Highway 89 on their way to Elk Grove, California. About half-way to Ashfork, they came upon two automobiles stopped in the middle of the highway. Kim got out of the 
car to ascertain the problem and see if someone needed help. In the middle of the highway was a red and white Airedale dog. The dog was wearing a collar and leash but was extremely dirty, thin, and appeared to be very hungry and thirsty. The other drivers seemed hesitant about confronting the animal. Kim and Jeanne are devoted dog lovers and, in fact, were on their way to California to pick up a new Schnauzer puppy to join the two they have in Prescott. The dog was very friendly and cooperative so Kim picked her up and put her in the back seat of the car. It was his intention to find, in Ashfork, a veterinarian or police station to take care of the dog.
Upon arrival in Ashfork, there was no activity except at the Post Office. As Kim approached the Post Office a notice board caught his eye and in the middle was a large poster “LOST DOG” and a picture of the animal now residing in the rear of his automobile. He immediately called the number on the poster and an elated owner said he would be there in ten minutes.
Kim and Jeanne said the reunion of the dog with its owner brought tears to their eyes and a lump in their throats. The man and dog had been coyote hunting six days before. The dog pursued a deer and became lost. The man was devastated and had about given up at finding his beloved animal.
Coincidence or Diving intervention? Maybe some of both? I’m sure God looks out for all of his creatures including red Airedale dogs lost in the desert.
