The Miracle

My neighbor, dying of cancer, was worried about Boots, the Great Dane that had been her only companion for about seven years.  Boots was truly the "gentle giant," sleeping in my neighbor's bed with her, waiting daily on the sofa for her owner's return from work every afternoon.  Boots had known only one owner, who lavished care upon her; what would happen to her now?  How many people would take in a dog her size?  How many people could afford to feed and care for a Great Dane?  How many people had room enough in their beds for an over-sized dog?

As the cancer progressed, Mary Lyn was more concerned; she did not want Boots to be taken by the rescue society---but I could not promised to care for a Great Dane, especially with three cats of my own.  My daughter and I prayed, asking for a solution from God.  "When the time is right," my daughter said, "the door will open." 

Weeks later, she attended a retirement party for one of her co-workers, and she "happened" to be sitting at the same table with a woman from another office who mentioned that she was looking for a Great Dane to calm her own young and rambunctious Great Dane.  It seems that her own dog was chewing and destroying the house during the day while everyone was away at work or school.  She thought another, more settled, dog might be the answer. 

If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is:

• How often do you find someone actually looking for a Great Dane?
• How much of a coincidence can it be that my daughter should sit at the same table with someone looking for a Great Dane?

It turns out --- of course---that Boots was the perfect, gentle, match that the lady was looking for.  It turns out that she is willing to spend whatever it takes to feed and care for Boots, including minor surgery to remove a tumor on Boots' foot.  At first, Boots was depressed at being separated from her only owner, but the young puppy pulled her into a kind of joyful participation in life that Boots had never known.  During the day, the two dogs snuggle together on the sofa; at night, they sleep in the owner's bed.  The younger dog has ceased destroying the house, and Boots is content with her new life.

Only God can work such a miracle!