Post by thewisefarmer on Dec 8, 2017 13:01:01 GMT
BETHLEHEM
It was late fall and I had a strong urge to get another puppy. I often have that desire, but this was as if God Himself was telling me to get a dog.
I was wanting to get a dog to train as a therapy and hearing ear dog. A hearing ear dog is trained to tell a deaf person about sounds that alert us to dangers like a smoke alarm and to alert to other sounds like a knock on the door. I was planning to take deaf foster children and a hearing ear dog would be a great asset. I decided to bring along a girl that I worked with in the deaf church. We went to the local Humane Society to pick a doggie.
The Springer Spaniel that seemed perfect reacted oddly to the child's "deaf sounds" These are normal sounds people make, but they can have a different inflection as they are not modified by the person's hearing. Some animals do react oddly to these sounds. I was sad that the dog did not work out.
When getting ready to leave without a dog, the worker told me, "Go look in the holding room."
We went into the other area. Dogs here were ones that were being held as previous owners were searched for or because they had problems that did not allow them to be in the "adoption kennel."
One dog caught our eye, but we were told it was a fear biter and so that one would not work out either. Disheartened, we were ready to leave.
Then as if she saw our sorrow, out of the dark corner in one of the kennels bounced a small black pup. The man in the room told me, "That pup will be put down tomorrow. She's a stray that is wild and we just have too many."
We decided to take her to the dog play area. Her intelligence was evident immediately. Then as Elizabeth and the pup were playing, the 3 month old puppy stopped to look as she heard the truck just outside the gate making a warning beep as it backed up. She ran to the deaf child to warn her. God had planned for this dog to be a hearing ear dog within the depths of her very soul.
Elizabeth signed..."This one!"
The pup came home. In the car, she sat with her big tummy sticking out while observing the world. I knew she needed a good worming (the reason for the big belly), but because of her big "bread basket", I named her Bethlehem. The other animals had Hebrew names and it appeared a fitting name for her. I figured she would need a name before we even got home and so that is how Bethlehem moved into my home.
She grew much bigger than anyone figured, but was a gentle giant bundle of love. She took to the hearing ear training with ease. I would like to think it was my awesome training skills, but the dog was a born therapy dog.
As the holiday of Christmas approached, one day, Bethy ran over to the radio and listened. It was not an alert sound, so I was trying to figure out what it was that had her attention. Then again the voice sang out the word "Bethlehem" in the middle of the song. She sat with ear cocked awaiting the singer's command.
Later Elizabeth's mother died and she came to live as my daughter. We often laughed about how Elizabeth had picked her own hearing ear dog and how Bethlehem had picked her own kid. I knew God had picked them out to be together.
This year as the words of Christmas ring out, "Oh little town of Bethlehem...." My mind thinks back to a little black pup that served 23 children in my home and served God Himself by tenderly showing His love for each hurting child who abided with us.
She won an award of "All American Mutt" for her service to her kids, but the cherished award for her was when a frightened lonely untrusting child would put their arms around her neck to whisper "I love you" to the dog.
I seem to only hear a few of the words of the Christmas carol now. For between the tears of missing the dog who awaits us in heaven, my mind knows as she was saved from death row herself, she in turn saved hurting children from a death of loneliness.
".....little.....Bethlehem....how still we see thee lie.....deep dreamless sleep.....shineth the everlasting light...the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."
I thank Jesus each Christmas for that black pup with a big bread basket and an even bigger heart. Bethlehem had the heart of Jesus Himself.
It was late fall and I had a strong urge to get another puppy. I often have that desire, but this was as if God Himself was telling me to get a dog.
I was wanting to get a dog to train as a therapy and hearing ear dog. A hearing ear dog is trained to tell a deaf person about sounds that alert us to dangers like a smoke alarm and to alert to other sounds like a knock on the door. I was planning to take deaf foster children and a hearing ear dog would be a great asset. I decided to bring along a girl that I worked with in the deaf church. We went to the local Humane Society to pick a doggie.
The Springer Spaniel that seemed perfect reacted oddly to the child's "deaf sounds" These are normal sounds people make, but they can have a different inflection as they are not modified by the person's hearing. Some animals do react oddly to these sounds. I was sad that the dog did not work out.
When getting ready to leave without a dog, the worker told me, "Go look in the holding room."
We went into the other area. Dogs here were ones that were being held as previous owners were searched for or because they had problems that did not allow them to be in the "adoption kennel."
One dog caught our eye, but we were told it was a fear biter and so that one would not work out either. Disheartened, we were ready to leave.
Then as if she saw our sorrow, out of the dark corner in one of the kennels bounced a small black pup. The man in the room told me, "That pup will be put down tomorrow. She's a stray that is wild and we just have too many."
We decided to take her to the dog play area. Her intelligence was evident immediately. Then as Elizabeth and the pup were playing, the 3 month old puppy stopped to look as she heard the truck just outside the gate making a warning beep as it backed up. She ran to the deaf child to warn her. God had planned for this dog to be a hearing ear dog within the depths of her very soul.
Elizabeth signed..."This one!"
The pup came home. In the car, she sat with her big tummy sticking out while observing the world. I knew she needed a good worming (the reason for the big belly), but because of her big "bread basket", I named her Bethlehem. The other animals had Hebrew names and it appeared a fitting name for her. I figured she would need a name before we even got home and so that is how Bethlehem moved into my home.
She grew much bigger than anyone figured, but was a gentle giant bundle of love. She took to the hearing ear training with ease. I would like to think it was my awesome training skills, but the dog was a born therapy dog.
As the holiday of Christmas approached, one day, Bethy ran over to the radio and listened. It was not an alert sound, so I was trying to figure out what it was that had her attention. Then again the voice sang out the word "Bethlehem" in the middle of the song. She sat with ear cocked awaiting the singer's command.
Later Elizabeth's mother died and she came to live as my daughter. We often laughed about how Elizabeth had picked her own hearing ear dog and how Bethlehem had picked her own kid. I knew God had picked them out to be together.
This year as the words of Christmas ring out, "Oh little town of Bethlehem...." My mind thinks back to a little black pup that served 23 children in my home and served God Himself by tenderly showing His love for each hurting child who abided with us.
She won an award of "All American Mutt" for her service to her kids, but the cherished award for her was when a frightened lonely untrusting child would put their arms around her neck to whisper "I love you" to the dog.
I seem to only hear a few of the words of the Christmas carol now. For between the tears of missing the dog who awaits us in heaven, my mind knows as she was saved from death row herself, she in turn saved hurting children from a death of loneliness.
".....little.....Bethlehem....how still we see thee lie.....deep dreamless sleep.....shineth the everlasting light...the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight."
I thank Jesus each Christmas for that black pup with a big bread basket and an even bigger heart. Bethlehem had the heart of Jesus Himself.