Paws to Show God’s Love

"Where are you headed today?" Mr. Mack asked his young neighbor."There's a dog adoption at the park!" said Jesse. "I want a dog, but Mom says she can't afford to feed another hungry mouth. So I just go play with them.""I love dogs too," said Mr. Mack. "They're great company. I've got this nice fenced-in yard that's perfect for a dog, but my knees aren't strong enough to walk a dog anymore." Jesse thought about that as he hurried to the park. Mr. Mack seemed lonely since his wife died, and a bit forgetful. Jesse smiled, thinking how lately Mr. Mack's hair stuck out in all directions, like he'd forgotten to comb it. Every week, Jesse's mom invited him to church to hear about Jesus, but Mr. Mack's answer was always, "Maybe someday." "Mr. Mack may never go to church," Jesse's mom said. "But we can still show him God's love. The Bible tells us to bear one another's burdens--like loneliness. We can be there for him, just like Jesus is always there for us."When Jesse got to the park, there were many dogs, but one medium-sized yellow dog named Mike followed him everywhere. "Are you lonely, Mike?" Jesse asked. "You should meet Mr. Mack. He's lonely too, and your hair sticks out in all directions, just like his…like someone forgot to comb it for you." That gave Jesse an idea. He hurried home to tell his mom, and she liked the idea too. Together, they went to see Mr. Mack. "I found a great dog named Mike at the park today," Jesse said. "He's a good dog, but he seems lonely. If you want to adopt him, I'll walk him every day and help you care for him." As Mr. Mack considered the idea, Jesse's mom added, "It's your decision, of course, but if you'd like to meet Mike, I'll drive you to the park." And she did. An hour later, Mike had a new home and a new name--Mike Mack. Mr. Mack had a new fuzzy friend that needed him. Neither of them seemed lonely anymore, but they both still had crazy hair. And Jesse was excited to be an official dog walker."Well done, Jesse," Mom said when they got home. "You demonstrated God's love to Mr. Mack through your kindness." -Teresa Ambord