Counting Blessings & Paw Prints 🐾
Have you ever had someone in your life and thought, "Gosh, I wish I could help them?"
Maybe, for whatever reason, your paths eventually separated.
Yet you still think about them.
You still pray for them.
Maybe at first there was hurt, disappointment, or even a little anger. Then came the guilt for feeling that way.
Maybe it was family.
Maybe it wasn't.
Maybe it was a friend, a coworker, or simply someone who crossed your path at the right time in your life.
Yeah... me too.
I believe every person is searching for the same things:
Purpose.
Belonging.
Connection.
Sometimes we find them.
Sometimes we lose them.
Sometimes relationships flourish, and sometimes they don't.
Sometimes we're the one extending a helping hand.
And sometimes we're the one desperately needing someone to reach back.
I've learned that when I'm in that place, God always seems to send someone.
A few years ago, I started a new job. Initially, I sat alone in a cubicle. A few months later, I was moved to an area with three other people.
One person in particular and I connected almost immediately.
One day, I was sitting at my desk feeling overwhelmed by everything happening in my life when she said something I've never forgotten.
"Girl, you can't even see all of God's blessings around you! They're there, and you need to start noticing them."
She knew some of what I was going through.
At the time, I was convinced my world was falling apart.
You know that feeling, don't you?
When the valley is so dark that you can't see a way forward.
When every problem feels larger than life because it's standing directly in front of you.
When loss, uncertainty, disappointment, or change makes it hard to see beyond the next hour.
What she gave me that day wasn't a solution.
It was perspective.
She reminded me that God's faithfulness doesn't disappear just because our circumstances become difficult.
The blessings were already there.
I just couldn't see them.
Looking back, I realize she was one of those people God sent when I needed help.
Not because she fixed everything.
But because she reminded me of what was true when I had forgotten.
And that's why the mission of Kingdom Comfort Dogs means so much to me.
At its heart, it isn't really about dogs.
It's about people.
It's about creating moments where someone feels seen.
It's about offering comfort to someone carrying a burden they haven't told anyone about.
It's about reminding people they matter.
It's about helping people discover:
Purpose.
Belonging.
Hope.
Connection.
Because every one of us needs those things.
And sometimes, the greatest gift we can give another person is simply showing up long enough to help them see the blessings that have been there all along.
Of course, a wagging tail, a wet nose, and a muddy paw print on your heart help too. 🐾😉
Sandy
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
