Search and Rescue

by Ami Hendrickson

Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.

Psalm 139:23-24

Search and Rescue (SAR) dogs are trained to sniff out humans, and sometimes animals, who are incapable of saving themselves. A SAR dog possesses exceptional intelligence, focus, and energy. It ignores distractions, following a key scent wherever it leads.

A SAR dog has impressive abilities to detect lost persons. St. Bernards have been used for over three centuries to find people lost in mountain passes. A trained “avalanche dog” can find a person buried beneath as much as 15 feet of snow.

A SAR dog’s ability to detect a scent is up to 100 million times greater than a human’s. A single SAR dog team is the rescue equivalent of up to 20 searchers without dogs.

FEMA sets the national standards for SAR certification. Certification involves over 1,000 person-hours and often taking a year or more. The standards are so strict that fewer than 15 percent of candidates pass.

Our Heavenly Father is more tenacious, more powerful, and more loyal than the best SAR dog. He never tires. He never gives up. He searches for us when we are lost in the wilds of the world. Every thought, every action of ours is an open book to Him. We are never hidden from His view and no matter what He sees, He loves us.

Pray

Dear loving Father,
Thank You for not giving up on me.
Search out my good points and seal them.
And help me continually look for ways to connect even more with You.
Amen