Family Prayer and Doug the Dog

Years ago, when we lived in Boise and most of the kids were home, a Black Lab found us, adopted us and stayed with us for a few days.  He was a wonderful dog and we named him, "Doug".  Since we didn't know who his owners were, we treated him as though he was our dog until the rightful owners could be found.  It was Christmas time and my son, Dan, flew home from Utah.  I went to the airport to pick him up and allowed Doug to accompany me in the van.   Imagine Dan's surprise when he opened the sliding door of the 12-passenger-van to find a big dog waiting to greet him!

That night we knelt for family prayer.  It was my turn to pray and the kids knew they might as well get comfortable because my prayers last more than 30 seconds!  Doug sidled next to me and sat, looking at everyone.  The prayer was going well.  Christmas is a season to be thankful, especially when your kids come home, so I was expressing my gratitude when I heard a loud sigh and felt Doug slump to the floor as though he was exhausted.  Needless to say, the prayer ended abruptly because we were all laughing. 

(google image)

Since that night, the kids have learned how to display their feelings if they feel the prayer is going too long.  It's not as funny when they do it.

The Power of Prayer

Twelve years ago, we had three missionaries in the field so I took on a newspaper route in my neighborhood to supplement our income. I would leave the house at 4:00 a.m. with the newspaper bag over my shoulders and "walk the streets" delivering news to unsuspecting neighbors. In a cul-de-sac lived a dog. A big dog. A big, black dog that blended into the shadows and waited until I was in front of his owner's house. He would charge out after me, barking and growling, then trot back into the shadows, chuckling.
Each morning, he came a little closer, until I could actually feel his breath on my leg.  Let me clarify, I do like dogs, but this one had me shaking in my shoes.  After several days of his recurring game, I realized I needed a higher power to get rid of the nuisance and to be rid of my fear of entering that cul-de-sac. There were many heart-felt prayers said before I left my house and then said again as I approached that house.
One morning, the big, black dog didn't come out. I assumed that his owners were tired of hearing his barking at 4:30 in the morning and had either put him in the back yard, the house or garage.
Fast forward 3 weeks.  It was preschool registration and one of the boys coming to my preschool lived in that cul-de-sac.  I asked his mother if they lived in the house with the big black dog. (How else would I describe it?)  Much to my delight surprise, she told me that the dog had been killed by a car three weeks prior!
So...there you have it.  Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Is there anything you want to be rid of?