The Hound of Heaven and the Holy Spirit

 Francis Thompson wrote a poem titled "The Hound of Heaven," which often illustrates the Holy Spirit's pursuit of a person's soul. And the reason for the pursuit? Love!

In The Cave Chamber, 8-year-old Gracie during a time of despair describes the Hound of Heaven. The drooling dog leads the girl to the fortress where her brothers are imprisoned, and, while she fights a demon, the Hound opens the way for their rescue.

Here is a portion of Gracie's experience:

I have to write, even if what I say is stupid! Of all the pictures that had crossed her mind, one wouldn’t go away.

            “What does that have to do with my story?” she asked God.

            Deep inside, she felt an answer. Everything. Just do it.

            Gracie began, her pen digging into the paper.

*     *     *

            In hasty words, she described a big old, male hound dog. Its name was Spirit. No, she’d never owned a real dog, but in this story, Spirit was her “BFF – Best Friend Forever.” It went with her everywhere.

            You are so silly, a thought pricked her mind. She almost threw the story in the trash. But she struggled and kept going.

            The hound stood in the courtyard in back of the Tuttle’s tall, narrow house. Sniffing at the enormous tree, Spirit lifted a leg, showing its speckled tummy that would be so soft to rub, and peed profusely.

            Lifting her pencil, Gracie didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. Where is this story going? Honestly – a hound dog? Peeing? The sarcastic thought put her down, but she shook it off. Her pen flowed again.

            Spirit wanted Gracie to follow him, because it bowed its big head on his front paws, big intelligent brown eyes staring intently at her. His eyes reminded her of Lewis, and the real Gracie said softly, “I miss you, bro’!”

            “Aaoooooo!” hound dog howled suddenly. Spirit stood stiff all over, the fur bristled along its spine, and its lips curled back in a snarl that showed enormous sharp teeth.

            Gracie jumped, almost tipping the kitchen chair over backward. “Wow!”

            In her story, the hound pointed Gracie to look toward a white mountain. It looked like death, like bones … That’s Lord Charon’s palace. However, the story inside her insisted that she had to go there.