This Man Had Lost All Hope 'Til God Sent An Unlikely Angel

 Man Needed an Angel

"Do you know what your're doing?"

"Can't you do anything right?"

"Watch out! You nearly broadsided that car!" My father would yell at me.

Do you have anyone in your life that would rather 'tear' you down with their words than build you up? Words can be so painful. Sometimes, there is more behind those words than we realize. This woman's story about her aging dad might hit home for some of you. Take heart - God hears your prayers and will never leave you.

Those words hurt worse than blows. I turned my head toward the elderly man in the seat beside me, daring me to challenge him. A lump rose in my throat as I averted my eyes. I wasn't prepared for another battle.

"I saw the car, Dad. Please don't yell at me when I'm driving." My voice was measured and steady, sounding far calmer than I really felt.

Dad glared at me, then turned away and settled back. Once home, I left my Dad on the front porch as I went inside to collect my thoughts.

What could I do about him? Dad had been a lumberjack in Washington and Oregon. He had enjoyed being outdoors and had revelled in pitting his strength against the forces of nature. He had entered gruelling lumberjack competitions, and had placed often. The shelves in his house were filled with trophies that attested to his strength.

The years marched on. The first time he couldn't lift a heavy log, he joked about it; but later that same day I saw him outside alone, straining to lift it. He became irritable whenever anyone teased him about his advancing age, or when he couldn't do something he had done as a younger man.

Four days after his sixty-seventh birthday, he had a heart attack. An ambulance sped him to the hospital while a paramedic administered CPR to keep blood and oxygen flowing. At the hospital, Dad was rushed into an operating room. He was lucky; he survived.

But something inside Dad died. His zest for life was gone. He obstinately refused to follow doctor's orders. Suggestions and offers of help were turned aside with sarcasm and insults. The number of visitors thinned, then finally stopped altogether. Dad was left alone.

My husband, Dick, and I asked Dad to come live with us on our small farm. We hoped the fresh air and rustic atmosphere would help him adjust. Within a week after he moved in, I regretted the invitation. It seemed nothing was satisfactory. He criticized everything I did. I became frustrated and moody.

Soon I was taking my pent-up anger out on Dick. We began to bicker and argue. Alarmed, Dick sought out our pastor and explained the situation. The clergyman set up weekly counselling appointments for us. At the close of each session he prayed, asking God to soothe Dad's troubled mind. But the months wore on and God was silent.

The next day I sat down with the phone book and methodically called each of the mental health clinics listed in the Yellow Pages. I explained my problem to each of the sympathetic voices that answered. In vain. Just when I was giving up hope, one of the voices suddenly exclaimed, 'I just read something that might help you! Let me go get the article.' I listened as she read. The article described a remarkable study done at a nursing home. All of the patients were under treatment for chronic depression. Yet their attitudes had improved dramatically when they were given responsibility for a dog.

I drove to the animal shelter that afternoon. After I filled out a questionnaire, a uniformed officer led me to the kennels. Each contained five to seven dogs. Long-haired dogs, curly-haired dogs, black dogs, spotted dogs all jumped up, trying to reach me. I studied each one but rejected one after the other for various reasons too big, too small, too much hair.

As I neared the last pen a dog in the shadows of the far corner struggled to his feet, walked to the front of the run and sat down. It was a pointer, one of the dog world's aristocrats. But, years had colored his face and muzzle with shades of gray. His hipbones jutted out in lopsided triangles. But it was his eyes that caught and held my attention. Calm and clear, his gaze was steady.

I pointed to the dog. "Can you tell me about him?" The officer looked, then shook his head in puzzlement.

"He's a funny one. Appeared out of nowhere and sat in front of the gate. We brought him in, figuring someone would be right down to claim him. That was two weeks ago and we've heard nothing. His time is up tomorrow." He gestured helplessly.

As the words sank in I turned to the man in horror. "You mean you're going to kill him?"

'Yes, Ma'am," he said gently, "that's our policy. We don't have room for every unclaimed dog."

I looked at the pointer again. The calm brown eyes awaited my decision. "I'll take him," I said.

I drove home with the dog on the front seat beside me. When I reached the house I honked the horn twice. I was helping my prize out of the car when Dad shuffled onto the front porch.

"Ta-da! Look what I got for you, Dad!" I said excitedly.

Dad looked, then wrinkled his face in disgust. "If I had wanted a dog I would have gotten one. And I would have picked out a better specimen than that bag of bones. Keep it! I don't want it!" Dad waved his arm scornfully and turned back toward the house.

Anger rose inside me. It squeezed together my throat muscles and pounded into my temples.

"You'd better get used to him, Dad. Cuz he's staying!" Dad ignored me. "Did you hear me, Dad?" I screamed. (not one of my prettier moments)

We stood glaring at each other like cowboys in the middle of the street waiting for the other to draw his weapon. When suddenly, the pointer pulled free from my grasp. He wobbled toward my dad and sat down in front of him. Then slowly, carefully, he raised his paw.

And what happened next is as close to a miracle that I've ever witnessed.

Dad's lower jaw trembled as he stared at the uplifted paw. Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes. The pointer waited patiently. Then Dad was on his knees hugging the animal.

It was the beginning of a warm and intimate friendship. Dad named the pointer Cheyenne. Together he and Cheyenne explored the community. They spent long hours walking down dusty lanes. They spent reflective moments on the banks of streams, angling for tasty trout. They even started to attend Sunday services together, Dad sitting in a pew and Cheyenne lying quietly at his feet.

Dad and Cheyenne were inseparable throughout the next three years. Dad's bitterness faded, and he and Cheyenne made many friends. Then late one night I was startled to feel Cheyenne's cold nose burrowing through our bed covers. He had never before come into our bedroom at night. I woke up my husband, put on my robe and ran into my father's room . Dad lay in his bed, his face serene. But his spirit had left quietly sometime during the night.

Two days later my shock and grief deepened when I discovered Cheyenne lying dead beside Dad's bed. We wrapped his still form in the rug he had slept on. And as we buried him near their favorite fishing hole, I silently thanked the dog for the help he had given me in restoring Dad's peace of mind.

The morning of Dad's funeral was overcast and dreary. This day looked like the way I felt. I was surprised to see the many friends Dad and Cheyenne had made filling up the church pews. The pastor began his eulogy. It was a tribute to both Dad and the dog who had changed his life.

And then the pastor turned to Hebrews 13:2. "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers."

'I've often thanked God for sending that angel,' our pastor said.

It all began to fall in place for me. Cheyenne's unexpected appearance at the animal shelter. . .his calm acceptance and complete devotion to my father...and the proximity of their deaths. Suddenly I understood. I knew that God had answered my prayers after all.

Our God is one of love and peace. A God of compassion and concern. The ONLY one that loves each one of us without condition. WOW - isn't that a beautiful thing?!

For another beautiful story about God's love and compassion,click here!

HT GuySports

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

30 True Stories about Angels on Earth

This article is part of a series of articles about angels on earth. Here are links to 30 true stories about angels so you can read some of these accounts for yourself and be blessed. 

• True Stories About Angels on Earth

• 2 Angels Visited This Dying Man And His Testimony Is Amazing

• Family Says Angels Protected 4-Year-Old During Mountain Lion Attack

• 8-Year-Old Angel Sacrifices His Own Life to Save His Own Family

• What Happened To This Man During A Fishing Trip Saved His Life. God Sent Him An ANGEL!

• Angels Gave Little Boy Strength - He Saves Dad From Being Crushed By Car

• Biker Knows Guardian Angels/Divine Intervention Saved Him In Crash

• Man Nearly Impaled Until Angel Saved Him from Pipe That Flew Through Windshield

• Guardian Angels Walk Among Us, And We All Have One. You Won't Believe Who Yours Is!

• Woman’s Footage From Storm Reveals Mysterious Figure Walking In The Clouds

• A Terrible Car Crash Could Have Claimed Their Lives. But God Sent A Heroic Rescue From ANGELS!

• This Girl Was Running For Her Life When God Sent Her An Angel. WOW!

• God Sends A Little Girl At Death’s Door An Angel And A Miracle

• Divine Intervention Sent Choking Man In Chick-Fil-A To A Special Angel

• God Sends Woman A Fiery Angel to Save Her from Terrible LIfe

• If You Think Angels Don’t Exist, Think Again! You Will Melt When You Hear What This Grandmother Said.
• Woman Credits Guardian Angel For Her Safety After Huge Tree Crushes Her Car
• This Man Had Lost All Hope ‘Til God Sent An Unlikely Angel
• What This Man Has Seen Is A Nightmare Then Encounters Dream Angel
• This Homeless Man Was About To Sleep In A Walmart Parking Lot, AGAIN. Until God Sent 2 Angels To His Car–WOW!
• God Sends Angel After Husband Crashes While Rushing Pregnant Wife To Hospital
• She Was About To Take Her Own Life, But God Sent These 2 Angels To Stop Her.
• God Sent a Mysterious Angel to Pray with Victim of Terrible Car Crash
• This Angel Dog Had One Last Message For His Owner. And It Gave Me CHILLS!
• An Unlikely Angel Reunites A Grieving Mom With Her Lost Locket
• The Angel At The End Of The Rainbow Was A Sign From God
• Note From A Stranger Reveals This Cat’s Secret Life As A Fur Angel
• An Answered Prayer And Special Angel Saves Mom And Baby
• Angels At A Gas Station Help A Struggling Man And His Family
• Intruders Threaten Young Woman With A Machete Until A Special Angel Appears