Pup Train

 “He works for the good of all who love Him and have been called for His purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

Eugene lives on a cul-de-sac - the fancier relative of a dead-end street.  Its benefits include less car and foot traffic resulting in more privacy.  The downside is that people sometimes come by and dump unwanted pets there, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Now he spends the majority of his retirement looking after stray dogs.  At 82, what can be more golden than that?

He’s taken in countless dogs over the years, fed them, and got them spayed and neutered.  Eugene made a place for them to live and be loved.  But more than just keeping them safe, he's found an adorable way to keep them happy, too.

One day while driving down a country road near his home, he became fascinated watching his canine passenger with his head out the truck’s window.  The reason dogs like doing that has little to do with enjoying the scenery or feeling the wind.  They have an incredible sense of smell.  So, they hang out the window to enjoy the sensory overload of new and pleasurable smells zipping by.

He had an idea: a “Pup Train.” That would make getting around a little bit easier for everyone involved.  It meant that they could enjoy more outdoor adventures together.

He cut holes in 55-gallon fiberglass barrels, put wheels under them, and tied them together.  The former railroad employee takes his conductor duties seriously: each car has assigned seating for his furry passengers.  He added pillows to make them feel more comfortable.  There’s also a wooden ramp available to help those who might have trouble boarding his puppy express.

Behind his lawn tractor, Eugene began taking the rescue pack of nine in his care around town a couple of times each week.  “Now whenever they hear me hooking the tractor up, they get so excited," he said.  "They all come running and board the train on their own.  They're always ready to go joyriding!"

Residents often spot them go puttering down quiet streets, through the forest near their home, or stopping by a local creek for some fresh air in the coolest, most adorable train in the world.  One of the locals even set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the expenses of caring for the dogs. And raised over $17,000.

Perhaps Eugene Bostick's most memorable job began long after he retired.  However, the Fort Worth native never expected his life to take such an unorthodox turn.  It was the cruelty of others that forced him to take on the duty of helping needy pets.  He couldn't bear to see them left to starve on the streets.

Good works often arise from the cruelest circumstances.  One thing’s for sure, bad things equip believers like Eugene for deeper ministry.

Father God, we live in a world of suffering.  Your Son was no stranger to pain.  Instead of doubting Your goodness, help us lean not on your own understanding, but to trust in You more completely.  Amen

Stolen Youth

 “I will never leave you or forsake you." ~ Hebrews 13:5

In 1985, Katariina (13), her teenage brother, and their mother left their South Florida home to escape Kat's abusive father.  Katarina's Mom worked 2 menial jobs while caring for her children.  They hid in a non-descript Miami Beach hotel, where the kids spent most days unsupervised at the swimming pool.

There, Katariina met Mary, a confident 19-year-old who took an interest in the early-teen.  She was everything Kat hoped to be - thin, pretty, and confident.  Mary seemed to be a flower that made others bloom, including Kat.  The two quickly became friends.

Kat was a damaged, vulnerable, lonely young girl, yearning to be loved, and wanting attention.  That made her the perfect target.  Mary began telling her about local men who would take care of her, give her money for food, and offer needed love.  In reality, Mary was slowly luring her into a dangerous child trafficking ring.

Enticed by Mary, Kat soon found herself sequestered in a room with an older man who attempted to purchase her “services.”  She narrowly escaped the harrowing exchange – the first in a series of repulsive experiences she’d face … and the only one she managed to escape untouched. 

A cycle of fake friendships, drugs, and violence kept her trapped.  She was exploited by men who fostered her growing cocaine addiction, making her dependent on them for drugs, food, and affection.

Kat often sensed God’s comfort in those darkest moments.  She’d learned a little about God from her conversion as a nine-year-old.  Her mother had taken her to a Billy Graham crusade where she'd prayed to receive Christ. Graham pointed his finger at the audience and said boldly, “Remember, God will never leave you or forsake you."

Kat remembered that.  

But until her divorce after a 20-year abusive marriage that she began revealing the truth about her past to fellow church members. 

The more she shared, the more Kat realized that she might be able to help other girls caught in trafficking. 

While ministering to these young girls, Katariina earned a Law degree in intercultural human rights and a Ph.D. in conflict analysis and resolution.  In 2011, she formed a non-profit called “There Is H.O.P.E for Me”  https://www.thereishopeforme.org/

Today she works with the F.B.I., Homeland Security, and local police visiting jails, schools, foster homes, and strip clubs to eliminate human slavery.  "Then we take the necessary steps to get these girls the help they need, whether it's providing lawyers, law enforcement, or mental health services," Kat explained.

Katariina Rosenblatt is living proof of the promise Billy Graham proclaimed years ago that God never abandons us.  "He called me to this work and I know God’s greater than any enemy.  He delivered me from such dark circumstances for this purpose." 

Father God, I want to take whatever path You lay before me, even when it looks different from what I thought I wanted.  I know You have bigger plans for my life, so I will trust and obey You with an eager and joyful heart.  Amen

Meant for Greater

 “To whom much is given, much will be required." ~ Luke 12:48

Albertsons Stadium was abuzz with excitement as the Broncos and Cavaliers faced off on the blue turf.  Thousands crowded the stands.  As she had done many times, Heather carried him up to their seats leaving his wheelchair at the base of the stands. 

Nathan Ogden craved the normality of college football games with its crowded seating, boisterous fans, and raucous bands.  But when they came back to retrieve his special motorized chair, it had vanished without a trace.  Bad things happen! 

It wasn’t about the cost ($4,500) and having to wait for a new one.  For a quadriplegic, it meant independence.  It allowed Nathan to move, to tuck his kids into bed, to provide for his family.

Very bad things happened on a snow-capped mountain 16 years earlier.  Nathan, an accomplished skier, launched himself off an enormous jump and landed wrong.  Terribly wrong!  The resulting injury caused paralysis from his chest down.

With two young children, a wonderful wife, and a successful career, he battled through setbacks and obstacles with intense therapy.  Nathan returned to work full time, was able to drive again, and embraced his new life from a seated position with the motto of “We Believe.”  He was getting stronger and knew he’d walk again.

That was until several unfortunate events led to him breaking his neck a 2^nd, much more serious time, leaving him paralyzed forever.  He lost his job, self-esteem, and almost his marriage. “Being physically disabled is difficult; but fear, doubt and lack of progress left me completely paralyzed.”

Excuses be damned, Nathan eventually found new “legs” to live life standing taller; moving from paralysis to progress. 

He and Heather co-founded a non-profit called Chair the Hope https://chairthehope.org/ providing wheelchairs for those desperately needing them in developing countries.  In a twist of fate, the summer before the football game, Nathan’s entire family rode their bicycles over 1,200 miles from Oregon to Los Angeles, raising $43,000 for their charity.

They never found his wheelchair or the thief who stole it.  So, when the search came up empty, Ogden’s supporters turned to GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/nathansnewchair   

Donations quickly easily surpassed the cost of replacing Nathan’s chair – massively exceeded.  With the extras, CtH distributed thousands of new wheelchairs and still counting.

The author of two bestsellers (Unfrozen and Resilience), Nathan has become an international motivational speaker using his life-changing experiences to train students, adults, and business executives around the world.

“It’s easy to assume that only rich people have been “given much,” (Luke 12:48) he offered. “But honestly, we’ve all been given much: God’s abundant grace, His Word, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”  Each of us should use whatever gift we’ve received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s blessings in their various (sometimes tragic) forms.

Lord God, let me never forget all that You do for me on a daily basis.  Sustain me with the hope of my salvation and the other countless blessings You provide with your continuous presence in my life. Amen

Love and Dementia

 “Come to Me, all who are tired and troubled, and I will give you rest." ~ Matthew 11:28

Both were single parents - neither was looking for love.  But Brent (69) saw something special in her.  After several refusals, Geri (63) finally agreed to go out with him.  They’ve been together ever since.  Love’s seed had been planted, grew slowly, blossomed, and flourished. 

Three years after their first meal together, Brent was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. 

He didn’t hide or deny it nor let it rule their lives.  For 7 more years, it never did.  Their friendship deepened into a loving bond; just being together was enough.  Sure, there was frustration in his growing incompetence and anxiety when he didn’t know where Geri was.  But Brent never declared war on the disease; acceptance opened plenty of opportunities.

They enjoyed simple things.  Familiarity, routines, and patterns are very important in helping a person with dementia lead as normal a life as possible.

Every day Brent led the way as they strolled the same path along the river.  Another route would have confused him.  As they walked Geri would comment, “Lovely day, lovely sky, lovely river,” and Brent would reply “and lovely companion.” Then he’d kiss her on the cheek; a sweet sense of nurture.

Halfway through their walk, they sat at a favorite bench - arms around each other, snuggling, at peace with the world.

Brent constantly asked the same questions, ‘Where does this river go?’  ‘What kind of clouds are those?’  ‘When do the trees start to turn colors again?’

It kept Geri on her toes.  When asked again the next day she answered respectfully.  Eventually, he’d always get around to asking, “Why are you still with me?” 

He forgot the answer every day, so her reply was like new to him each time he heard her say, "I’ll always be there for you darling, and will take care of you for the rest of our lives because I love you and always will.”

Brent’s mind was still sharp though his memory was fading.  But the windows of “good” moments grew shorter and less frequent.  Alzheimer's takes away so much - but fortunately, love is almost always the last to go.

Geri wrote in her Journal, “Dementia hasn’t diminished Brent’s value.  I find peace and privilege in walking with him, and a depth of love previously unknown.  Without illness, I wouldn’t have held his hand so much.  I found the purest kind of love imaginable.  How beautiful that I have a heart to break.  He may forget me but I won’t ever forget him.”

When we flip to the final chapters in God’s story, we discover that God’s grace is not about our talents and intelligence making us worthy.  It’s all about His undeserved gift of mercy and love.  

God my Redeemer, help use the heartache of dementia to accomplish Your ultimate purpose.  Help the proud be humbled, the caregivers sanctified.  Let us all critique our basic assumptions and values about aptitude and functional capacities.  Amen

His Last Coin

 “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, and patience.” ~ Colossians 3:12

He began preparing for missionary work at age 14.  Hudson rose early to study the language, exercised vigorously, and learned to live with minimal comforts.  God even provided a way for him to learn basic medicine so he'd be better equipped to serve in China, where an estimated 35,000 people passed into eternity daily without Christ.  Yet, there were some lessons that only life's trials could teach the young man.  

He pulled his coat tighter around his thin frame as he roamed a crowded London street.  A hand in his pocket fingered his sole remaining coin. "Lord, my rent is soon due and I've only a bit of food.  Please remind Dr. Hardy to pay me.  Help me to trust in You, Lord."

As he walked on, a stranger recognized him as the doctor's assistant and grabbed his arm.  "My wife - she needs help," he pleaded.  Hudson responded immediately. 

They rushed inside a squalid flat with cheerless walls and dingy floors.  Foul body odors and tobacco smoke greeted him.  Five hollow-eyed children huddled in the shadows too weak to move. 

Hudson hung his head knowing there was little medicine could do for this family.  "Let’s pray for her,” Hudson suggested.

Even as he asked the Lord to send them food and heal the mom, he felt the coin in his pocket.  They could buy food and fresh vegetables with it, but it was literally all he had.  Soon he’d be hungry too!  

Could he trust God to take care of his needs if he also gave away his belongings?  Hudson felt no peace until he stopped arguing with himself, removed his coat and sweater, and handed them to the woman, along with the coin.  "God bless you," she whispered tearfully.  

And He did.  The boy left with only a song in his heart for warmth and just the lesson that would encourage his work caring for others in Christ's name.  He would forever trust God's provision!

Hudson Taylor moved to Shanghai where, for 51 years, he recruited and trained missionaries in all 18 Chinese provinces.  His pioneering work during the 1800s opened Christianity when China was especially suspicious, even hostile toward foreigners.  

Taylor was not someone whose appearance depicted the leader of a global mission.  An Englishman wearing Chinese robes and a long pigtail drew criticism from other missionaries.  He approached the Chinese with humility rather than self-righteousness; converting people to Christ in their own culture rather than converting them to Western principles.

Pride negotiates as equals; humility approaches in need.  Pride separates by putting down others; humility identifies with others, recognizing we all have the same needs.  Pride destroys through its alienating self-service; humility opens doors with its power to sympathize with the struggles we share.  Humility offers an open and lifted-up hand.

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, let my heart always imitate Your humility, grant me with a natural inclination to never view myself greater than anyone.  Banish all lingering sparks of self-importance that could elevate me greater than You.  Amen

The Hug Lady

 “If you believe in Him, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come to your tent." ~ Psalm 91:10

It was a normal day at Fort Hood in 2011, then the military’s busiest deployment hub in the nation.  Eight flights crammed with hundreds of soldiers headed off to fight terror in the Middle East.  In the lull before the first takeoffs, anxious men and women huddled for last-minute briefings, grabbed coffee from the USO, and lined up with their gear.

Throughout that long and frenzied day, they could count on one calming certainty.  Before boarding, they would get a loving embrace from the “Hug Lady.”  Since 2003, Elizabeth Laird (79), wanted to show them her appreciation as a Salvation Army volunteer.  She gave each one a hug, a loving smile, and a Psalm 91 prayer card.

In return, she saw the pride in their eyes at being able to serve their country and protect their loved ones at home.

Sometimes, a simple gesture can mean the world.  For those going off to war, there was something so warm, something so right.  She cradled them like cherished children.  In her gentle squeeze, worries lost their keen sting and optimism prevailed.

For those returning home, this was the love they’d waited for, prayed for.  Laird, herself an army veteran, was often the first civilian face they saw before processing out.  Her pleasant, heartfelt greeting brought immediate happiness and, for some, the chance to begin healing.      

Wearing a yellow ribbon in her hair adorned with the 1st Cavalry Division pin, Laird tried not to miss a single flight - even those that left at 1:00 in the morning.  It’s probably not a stretch to say she touched millions if you count the family members who’ve given thanks for the hugs their loved ones received - leaving and returning home.

In November 2015, Laird was hospitalized, weakened by the breast cancer she’d been fighting for ten years.  So, the soldiers decided to bring hugs to her.  Sometimes the line outside her hospital room was so long that she’d have to turn people away. 

Some came from over 1,000 miles to give her a hug when they heard she’d been stricken.  A GoFundMe account raised $94,000 for her medical expenses.  She received a letter from former President George W. Bush thanking her for her service.  Still others left comments calling her a blessing and thanking her for the hug they’d never forget.

She passed away that Christmas Eve at the age of 83, but not before leaving a lasting impression on the hearts of American soldiers and their families.  In a fitting tribute, the very room inside the terminal where she hugged so many, was named in the Hug Lady’s honor.

Father God, Elizabeth Laird reminded us of the protection You promised in Psalm 91.  As we are ever mindful of the cost of the freedom we enjoy, continue to hold our troops in Your loving arms.  Protect them as they protect us.  Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for our benefit.  Amen