MILY: THE STORY OF SECOND CHANCES
Grateful. Her face says “grateful”. She had another name, another foster home, another life…in Mexico. She’s approximately 8 years old but our vet friend said, “ she’s probably younger but has had a hard life”. She’s been described as a “ reservation dog, a junk dog, a dog who has been sent back more than once”. Kev had wanted a dog for awhile now so when we went to “just see” we both had our own expectations. I dreamed, literally, of a small, white fluffy dog around three years old. Kev just wanted a dog who could go fishing, hiking, and just chill with him. But when we went to Petsmart, the adoption organization called Puppy Luv, was there with some older dogs. As soon as we got there it was this dog, originally named Mama Mable, who came right up to Kev and began licking him and then to me. We were not immediately drawn to her because she looked older than what we had wanted…and she wasn’t small, white and fluffy. She sensed the reservation in us so she sat back quietly, expecting another rejection. But Kev couldn’t help going back to her. She was so sweet, good natured, a face of kindness and pure love. They told us we could try her out for a week to see how she would do. Little did we know how much she would change us, test us, humble us. The day of decision had come and we didn’t know if changing our lives in this last chapter was what we wanted to sacrifice. Until we looked at Mily. She had done nothing wrong. She was quiet, sweet, loving, and altogether the perfect dog. She deserved a second chance in her last years. And so we packed her in the car, adopted her legally, and brought her back to her forever home. She now has a gold shiny name tag with her new name and her new owner. Grateful. And isn’t that just how God sees us? Some have had pretty tough lives that don’t look so pretty, that carry heavy scars and baggage, who have learned to survive but keep hoping somebody will love them with all their ugliness. Jesus knew this about people. The adulteress woman, the tax collector, the leopard, the blind and deaf, the brokenhearted, the lost sheep, the demon possessed man, the hopeless. He could look them right in their eyes and say “ I see you, just as you are, and love you. I will make you clean and give you a new name…a second chance for the life you were meant to live”. And when someone can accept Jesus and His love for them, they are forever changed…with a new name and a new path in life. But it’s not always easy to make the adjustments, just like having a new dog isn’t always an easy adjustment. It takes time, commitment , and unconditional love. Mily is a reminder to us that God loves us, mess and all, and we have been redeemed in His love. I pray that you too will accept the love of Jesus for 2024 and find you’re forever real home. We love you Mily!! Welcome home…welcome home.