Dogwood Digest We Remember 9/11

     As we were coming home from a long transport one evening, we had the radio tuned to a Christian station that happened to be airing a special program remembering the tragedy of 9/11. The guest speaker for the evening was Jim Jenkins, a Navy Chaplain that was called to work at the site of the tragedy. Deeply impacted by what he experienced there, he related numerous stories of his time spent in the rubble and the nightmare that seemingly would never end.  It would be pointless for me to attempt to repeat his stories for they were powerful and heartbreaking accounts of those who had lost loved ones, of those found alive, of body parts that were preserved so that they could be identified. Stories of shock, desperation, grief and despair but as each was told by this Chaplain, you could feel the power of the Almighty in his words, knowing that HIS hand had been upon those who were there at Ground Zero. We were immediately drawn into the program by the sincerity of the Chaplain, with his emotionally charged stories of a time that should never have happened and will never be forgotten.
 

     One of the most powerful messages from the Chaplain came when he began to speak of the dogs that were at Ground Zero and described in detail how magnificently brilliant and intuitive these dogs were. One such dog was Uno, who sought him out to comfort him when he could go no farther, when he had seen, heard, and smelled so much death that he himself was near to a breakdown. This German Shepherd who was officially on duty at the time sought him out to render comfort and encouragement simply because he knew the Chaplain needed him. 

Story after story of how these dogs put themselves in danger to go where the first responders could not go. Without these magnificent animals, many would have not been found in the rubble as there was no way to search for them without collapsing the ground onto them farther. But the dogs found them --- one by one--- and either got the people to safety or led rescuers to them. One trainer remarked during the broadcast that from afar they could tell when their dogs found a living being or a body part/departed soul. She explained that dog’s faces are equipped with all the muscles needed to smile or frown and that they were able to express sadness or joy much like humans. From a distance, they could tell if the dog was rejoicing over a live find or grieving over another death. So if you ever wondered if your dog was truly smiling at you, now you know. 

    Amazing……. The Chaplain told a story of a young man that was at Ground Zero with the families that had missing loved ones. The young man was apparently in shock, never spoke, stared expressionless into space. The Chaplain at one time described him as being stiff and walking almost as if he were made of cardboard. It seems they were all very concerned for this young man and, hoping to reach him to comfort him, they took him on a ferry ride out around the site with the other families who were in mourning. The young man still did not speak and remained emotionless as they viewed the rubble together. As he sat in rigid form on the ferry ride back, staring blankly, a Golden Retriever approached him and sat at his feet and eventually lay his head in the young man’s lap. The dog sat there, head in his lap with big eyes focused upward on the young man’s face. Still staring into space, the Chaplain saw the man’s fingers touch the dog’s hair and then slowly his entire hand rested upon the dog’s head. Then the tears began to flow and through them he shared with the Chaplain his fiancé was in the rubble and they were to have been married in a week. As the tears flowed, his hand never left the dog’s hair and the dog stayed still except to move a bit closer to the young man as if to comfort him more. The Chaplain told the story in an effort to share the intuitive nature of dogs and the desire they have to please, comfort, and bless mankind. We were held in awe,  knowing only too well of that which he spoke, that dogs were created different from other animals, that those four-legged beings have souls, and many of them might well be angels unaware.

     As we pondered the message, feeling a kinship with this Chaplain, the Christian radio host broke in with the last words of the broadcast. She said, and I will never forget, “Isn’t it something. God can even use a dog if He wants to.” Joey and I exchanged looks and both of us knew she did not understand at all. It isn’t that God CAN use a dog, of course He can. He could use anything he chose to use yet he created these beautiful, soulful creatures to be with us all the time, to be our friends, our companions, our comfort, our helpmeets. No, the Chaplain understood completely but the host herself had not understood the truth in what he spoke!   You could hear the disappointment in the Chaplain's voice as the program closed, knowing she did not understand why GOD MADE A DOG.  
“Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” Hebrews 13:2
I am thankful for every single angel he has sent my way.