I prayed for God to touch her life, and the answer came soon enough, just not the way any of us expected.
Despite the urgency of the request, I waited some hours until Sue and Candy, our guide-dog-in-training-for-the-blind, could join me for a hospital visit later that day. Little did I know what would happen as we entered the room with our uniformed guide dog on our leash: She bonded with this bedridden woman!
Once at her bedside, Candy rose up on her hind legs, then slowly slid forward to nuzzle with her snout probing this woman. Candy then crawled onto the hospital bed, fully extending her torso to cuddle, while maintaining two feet on the floor at all times, as good dogs (and people) do. Our beloved black poodle manuevered to grab the woman's hand, with her paws, as in prayer.
That was truly a God-moment.
We later learned that our elderly friend is a dog-lover herself, with two black poodles in her background. Only Candy and God knew that. This picture was taken by the woman's daughter, as the rest of us watched in stunned silence and prayed, channeling all kinds of positive healing into her mother, through our new-found role as therapy dog.
We love Candy. Just as important, so does the family in this hospital, who has asked Candy to come back for another visit. Isn’t Candy wonderful! She's the only poodle, among 37 dogs (mostly Labrador retrievers), being raised and trained by OccuPaws, the guide dog association for the blind and visually impaired, with whom Sue and I volunteer as foster parent-trainers.
Having a guide-dog-in-training is now my incentive and door opener for more such hospital visits. What stirs you up likewise, to more love and good works? Any similar experiences with dogs reaching out and touching someone who is ill?