Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shauna: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. You are going to love this story from Joni about an amazing dog.

Guest (Male): Hi, this is National Assistance Dog Weekend. We're celebrating the wonderful companions that help people with disabilities day in, day out. Like Jenae. Growing up, Jenae loved the outdoors, whether it was kayaking, archery, even going skydiving with friends. But one day, she experienced a terrible fall, struck her head, someone called the ambulance, and then they rushed her into the operating room for brain surgery.

Jenae survived the surgical procedure, but the recovery involved months and months of rehab. What's more, the traumatic brain injury left her with muscle weakness, seizures, and fainting spells. At any moment, Jenae's seizures can cause her to fall and reinjure her head, and that would be a terrible thing. It can happen at the supermarket, it could happen at home, and it's just downright dangerous for someone like Jenae who has already experienced brain injury.

But thankfully, she has Colt. That's what she calls her service dog. Colt is a Weimaraner English Labrador who was handpicked and uniquely trained to meet Jenae's needs. Now, I know what you're thinking. How can a dog tell when someone's going to have a seizure? Well, it's true. Colt has been trained to immediately identify when Jenae is about to have a fainting spell or a seizure. And right away, he carefully positions himself flat on the ground right next to her to protect Jenae from hurting her head should she fall.

And once he knows Jenae's seizures have stopped, Colt will lick her hand and face to try to wake her up. Colt has even been trained to hear her heartbeat, reach for Jenae's medications, turn on lights, help with grocery shopping. This dog even opens doors and helps to pick up after himself. I can't believe that, but that's what she says. And that is an amazing service dog. And when he is not at work helping Jenae with her care, his harness goes off and, like any good old dog, Colt bolts out the door to play.

Genesis chapter one, verse 25 says there that when God created animals, he declared their creation to be "good." Plus, the Bible makes it clear that God can communicate with animals, such as he did on Noah's ark or with Elijah and those birds that fed him. And look at Balaam's donkey, right? These examples don't tell us that God is in regular communication with animals, but it is plausible that God interacts with animals much more than we realize.

The Bible also declares that God enjoys animals. In Psalm 104, the psalmist says, "Let the Lord be glad in his works." Now, sure, that verse speaks broadly of all that God has created, but it follows with a lengthy description of God's interaction with animals—everything from wild goats and other animals, small and significant. In Psalm 148, the psalmist called on everything to praise the Lord, and he includes beasts, cattle, and I'm sure dogs like Colt. Don't you think that's fun?

It's great to know that your pet is not only an animal that God enjoys, but in a way we can't understand, a dog like Colt responds to God's call in Psalm 148. Somehow, some way, animals praise the Lord.

Shauna: Now friend, I just know you want to see Colt, that extraordinary service dog. So take a minute to visit joniradio.org and watch a video of Colt hard at work. While you're there, be sure to share this program with your friends, especially those who love animals.

And hey, let's be sure to join those animals today—wild animals, domesticated animals, and service animals like Colt. Let's praise the Lord. You'll be blessed as you do. Thanks for listening today to Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Let's praise the Lord for all His creation.