Small Acts, Great Ripples

It is such an honor to witness how God works through small acts or moments to create profound ripples that, as humans, we can never fully imagine. When we listen to His voice and respond to His call, we are infinitely blessed by the ways God reveals Himself to us.

Yesterday was a busy day at LCC, a typical Monday, yet it held a very special moment. The K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry received an important request: to visit a Navy veteran at the hospital who was missing his dogs and his home, feeling unsettled, isolated, and lonely. The only thing he wanted was to spend time with a dog.

The health care supervisor who noticed this veteran’s sadness was determined to bring a smile to his face, to offer a place of peace, love, and comfort. She saw his struggles; she saw him. And she made it her mission to find a dog for this veteran, named Dave.

A contact recommended she reach out to the LCC K-9 Comfort Dog Ministry and she did. LCC promptly arranged for Charity Comfort Dog (Brookfield Lutheran - Brookfield, WI) and her handler to visit Dave that very evening.

Dave was thrilled. He counted down the hours until his 6 p.m. visit. When Charity and her handler arrived, he was waiting in his wheelchair in the hallway, eyes bright with anticipation. Dogs had been Dave’s constant companions throughout his life, and all of his dogs’ names had started with the letter P—Pugsley and Porkchop being his last two.

The moment Dave saw Charity, his face lit up, his shoulders relaxed, and a sense of peace and relief washed over him. As Charity’s handler spent time with Dave, they discovered that he had met Charity and the other LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs before at Milwaukee Airport in June, when he joined other veterans on the Honor Flight to visit the memorial wall in Washington, D.C.

Charity and her handler cherished their time with Dave, a Navy veteran who had faithfully served our country. It was a true honor, a gift from God, to share this special moment with him—and for the health care supervisor to be part of it as well.

Before leaving, Charity and her handler presented Dave with a LCC K-9 Comfort Dog stuffed animal, a puzzle, and a card. The donors who support this ministry were part of these gifts, too.

This ministry is a reminder that through listening, responding, and caring, God’s mighty power works through us to bring comfort, joy, and love in ways we could never imagine.

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