Redeeming Heroes

When I hiked around our local boat launch recently, I experienced more than exercise. I love the view of the lake, but this time my focus was on a man and his young daughter. They were standing on the dock, pitching a ball for their dog. This father showed his child how to use a hand-held ball launcher to toss the ball into the lake.

The girl’s first attempts sent the ball in different directions. However, the dog didn’t hesitate to jump in after it. Over and over, he returned it to them, eager to chase it again.

I admired how the canine dove into the water like an Olympic champion, captured the ball, and returned it without ever tiring. He appeared to be in great physical shape, and I cheered for him.

“His name is Charlie,” the man said proudly. “He was a bomb-sniffing dog in Afghanistan.”

He’s amazing,” I replied. We chatted for a few minutes (from a safe distance, of course). After he told me more about his dog, I realized I was witnessing the happy ending to a tragic story.

One day, he and Charlie were on a mission when a bomb exploded, injuring both of them. Fortunately, Charlie had alerted the soldier seconds before it happened, saving the man’s life.

When the army planned to send him back to the States to recover, the man begged them to take his dog back, too. The faithful canine had shown bravery and loyalty, and the man deeply loved him. He didn’t want to leave his bomb-sniffing pal behind to face an uncertain fate in Afghanistan.

The army doesn’t normally ship military dogs. However, they made an exception for Charlie because the soldier was also wounded

Charlie had injuries that would heal in time. He also had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He would go bezerk whenever he heard a loud boom or a cat meowed.

Fortunately, the wounded veteran found ways to help Charlie get back to a normal dog’s life. Retrieving balls from the water was part of his therapy.

During the wounded man’s recovery, Charlie once again helped his trainer. He provided comfort to get the soldier through depression and the effects of his own PTSD. The man and his dog formed a close bond which allowed them to survive and then thrive.

I had just witnessed two wonderful examples of grace. This man and his dog were both battle-weary warriors. They needed God’s grace to take them from a broken condition to wholeness.

Fortunately, God is still in the business of restoring people, no matter how crushed they are. As the psalmist said in Ps. 40:2 (NASV) “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.”

When I learned the man’s story, his words touched my heart. My feet felt lighter as I continued my walk, marveling at the way God had restored two brave war heroes.