News Flash!!!

Hey everybody! I just wanted to let you know that my Mom, Karen, and I just launched a brand new website! If you want to see it, head on over to www.KarenAndJulie.com. If that link doesn’t work, you can also click on “KarenandJulie” under my blogroll. Happy Memorial Day!

Puppy Love

It was hard not to get a little teary eyed as I lay on the comfy couch in my living room. I heard Mom sniffle a tiny bit, although it could have been her allergies.

The men on our TV screen were tough, hardened criminals that had been convicted of a variety of unthinkable crimes. Murder. Armed robbery. Assault. These men are the reasons we lock our doors at night. When we see their faces on TV, we shake our heads and say, “Who would do something like that? That man is pure evil. He doesn’t have a conscience.”

We tend to think of these men as beyond hope. Just keep them locked up for as long as possible.

But, wait a minute.

Is that man crying? Yes, he is bawling like a baby. He can hardly speak through his tears.

I thought he was a hardened criminal. But, it seems that inside the calloused criminal is a lost little boy. A little boy who is crying out to be loved.

He is crying as he talks about his relationship with a puppy. Yep, I’m serious. A little four legged fur ball has reduced this big tough man to a puddle. There is a program called Puppies Behind Bars that pairs up each inmate with a dog that he is responsible to train. The helpless puppy is entrusted to the inmate who takes care of the dog’s every need. They spend 24 hours a day together, and that includes sleeping side by side in the prisoner’s cell. And the best part is, when the inmate is finished training the puppy, the dog is sent to live with a wounded soldier that is returning home from war.

I was amazed at the impact these dogs had on the inmates who were being interviewed. These men that society has given up on and condemned were so grateful to be given a second chance. These hopeless, hardened convicts were allowing their hearts to be opened and touched. They were suddenly so broken and vulnerable, and were willing to be honest about their lives.

So, what was it about the puppies that the prisoners responded to most? What did the dogs give them that made such a big difference? The answer is so simple, but sadly it’s something these men have never had before.

Unconditional love. Pure, honest, no-strings-attached, tail wagging, face licking love.

Wow. Imagine what would happen if these men caught a glimpse of the love our Papa has for them. Deep, true, life changing, redeeming love. There is no man so lost that the grace of our Father can’t reach down and touch him. Jesus loves to take His glorious light into the darkest of places. And when He does, nothing ever stays the same.