"Look at that beautiful dog!" I exclaimed to my husband. We were in Walmart today, and I was startled to see a calmly alert, gorgeous creature standing dutifully by the shopping cart of a mother with 3 young children. When I noticed his harness, I knew he was a service dog, obviously for the 6-or7-year-old boy walking behind, who may have been autistic.
"Is he a service dog?" I asked as I admired the regal golden retriever whose well-groomed coat fairly glowed from care and attention.
"Yes," she said, and Howard, turning to look inquired "Is he trained?"
A darling little bespectacled girl of about four who was hanging on the end of the shopping cart looked at him through her glasses and announced imperiously, "We wouldn't have brought him in here if he wasn't trained!"
I was struck with the sense of calm the dog seemed to impart to the boy. How wonderful that animals can be used to help people in their unique capacity for loyalty and sensitivity!
Earlier this morning, Howard had come in from his walk telling me about an elderly lady he had met at Cann Gardens. "She was walking past the gazebo where I was sitting, and I called out that God had given us a beautiful day," he said. The lady stopped and carried on a conversation with him from the sidewalk. Turns out she lives next to a church across the street from the park and shared that her husband was on a mission trip and was due in today. It's amazing what a chance encounter can reveal about someone's life.
A knock on the door awhile ago sent me to look through the curtain to see our neighbor standing there. When I opened the door, he said, "Your truck lights are on." Howard rushed out to see if the battery had gone dead, but thankfully, the truck started. I reflected how wonderful it is that there are good people all around us, and God even provides animals to enrich our lives as well! He is a marvelous Creator!
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