“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." ~ Romans 12:15
Art saw the young man almost every
day hiking along the road with his pearl-colored dog. When cars passed, he always made eye contact
and waved enthusiastically.
Joshua had special needs, having been born with Prader-Willi
syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that resulted in cognitive and behavioral issues
which included an insatiable hunger. Yet,
he had the kind of smile that made you feel happy to be alive and just a little
bit more human.
One rainy day Art spotted him and asked if he could use a ride. Joshua replied timidly, "I'm not really going anywhere, just walkin'. Thanks anyway Mister!"
“Son, if you ever need a ride or
want help, just flag me down. I’ll do
whatever I can,” Art explained. Thanking
Art again, Joshua continued on his way.
A few days later Art saw the boy walking alone. Lacking his usual smile, the boy paced
aimlessly. Joshua recognized Art and
frantically flagged him down.
As Art approached, he could a sadness in the boy’s eyes. "My best friend just passed away. Fighting through tears, “He just didn’t wake
up this morning.”
The two headed back to Joshua’s house, an old farmhouse with
a spacious porch where the dog lay motionless.
"There! There he is, that's
Randy!" he wailed.
Art checked the animal and
explained that Randy had gone to heaven.
“You won't see him anymore but he'll still be in your heart.”
Art found some old barnwood,
made a marker and helped bury him. Part
of him shared the boy’s pain too.
“Randy was never intended to be Joshua's special companion,
but rather a family pet,” explained Joshua’s Mom. “But the dog immediately took to him. He just seemed to know there was something unique
about Josh and they went everywhere together – even to school. If Josh was upset or feeling a bit lonely,
Randy would jump onto his lap and lick his blues away. It's like he knew right away how to comfort Josh."
Driving home, Art remembered that a colleague’s female dog
had given birth to several puppies recently.
One of them was the spitting image of old Randy himself. When told of the situation, Art’s friend gave
up the little furball immediately.
Art and the pup drove to Joshua’s house. The boy must have spotted Art driving up the driveway
and immediately rushed out to greet him.
When Art opened the door, the small dog barreled out of the car.
"Randy! You came back to me!"
the boy said with tears of joy.
God works in such magnificent ways! Let the joys of small things bring a soft
happiness, a sense akin to gratitude and wonder. Then, when you have won that balance of the
soul, you can help others be happy too.
“With a grateful heart, with a song of
praise, with an outstretched arm, I will bless Your name. For all You've done in our lives, we just
wanna say thank You Lord.” ~ Don Moen
