Have it crossed your mind that God can work miracles also for His other creation other than humans? I never have until San-san came into my life.
He was the ugliest puppy I ever saw in my entire teen life – big droopy eyes, bald withered tail covered with ticks, curled ears eaten by leprosy, and a dull brown balding coat covered his emaciated body. Revulsion and pity warred inside me.
“What will I do?” I asked myself while immobilized by indecision.
“Will I drive this mongrel away or adopt him. Nah…. Better inform the others first.”
I ran inside our house and found my aunt preparing our supper.
“Auntie, I saw a puppy on our portico,” excitement course through my body. “Come and see,” I took hold of her hand and dragged her outside.
“Hold on,” my aunt replied. “Your grandmother brought that puppy this morning while you are still in school. It’s from her cousin’s. She took pity of him when she knew that pup will be abandoned to die alone. She just asked to have that pup and here he is,” she squatted with me to inspect closely the pup who is now curling to feign sleeping.
“But, he’s so ugly….” I replied.
“I know, but grandma brought him here. Perhaps that pup will recover from the disease. What he need is regular feeding and care. And I think that’s what you are going to do,” patting my shoulder in reassurance. “Come on, let him rest.”
Early Saturday morning, I took a pail of water, mixed a detergent soap in it and took a sponge and washed the ugly mongrel we fondly named San-san. With so much trembling he howled so loudly as if in pain trying to run away from me. I persisted and occasionally patted his head in reassurance that all will be well. And out of pity I prayed that God would heal this mutt even though I’m not sure if He will hear my prayer since San-san is just a dog.
After closely nursing him for a time God heard my prayer and I witnessed how he regained his health. The once emaciated puppy became a healthy dog. The only remaining evidence of what he has gone through is his curled ears.
I thought he will be well for a long time. But I was wrong. One day, I found him curled in his favorite place in the portico, motionless. I thought he was only sleeping. But when I called his name he never responded to my call which was strange to me. He usually wags his tail and lifts his head in response. Only this time he was not so I nudged him by my heel and felt his coldness. I was alarmed. I bent down and inspected him. But I was startled to what I discovered, his mouth is frothing. He was poisoned. I quickly ran inside the house and looked for a remedy. I found nothing. In resignation, I went back to him and patted his head. I prayed, “God, no way can I bring my dog to the veterinarian for we are three miles away from the nearest town and you know that. No one would give me a lift with a poisoned dog. So please heal my dog again. If You have done it before so why can’t you now?”
I don’t have that much faith to raise a dead much less a dog so with a heavy heart I left my dog to die. To console me of his impending death, I pulled out one of my praise cassette tape and played it on. The sound of the gospel singer filled the air. His voice filled with praise as he sang “Glory, glory…. Hallelujah since I laid my burdens down….” boomed.
After I while I checked on my dog but he’s nowhere to be found. Excitement arose in me again. “Could it be God answered me again this time?” And I was not wrong…… He did. There was San-san in the grassy part of our lawn, weak but alive. My heart filled with praise on this second miracle.
Looking back to these miracles, I now can say God’s power is not confined for humans alone. It is available to every creation whose lives will give Him glory. And He performs miracles and answers our prayer in His own timetable. No matter if we see His answer gradually or instantaneously as in the case of my dog San-san, God works in His own time.
But wait a minute; do you know the response of my dog to his latest miracle? Howl praise; that’s what he’ll always do every time I played the cassette tape back on. And on that particular song he will always stop any activity he is doing, took a position in front of the cassette player and gave his loudest howl. And he will never stop until the song ends.
When my friends and I went off to Camudmud, Island Garden City of Samal we dropped by to a known Japanese tunnel that was said to be a hideout of a Japanese soldier during the American liberation. It was here that this soldier hides from the prying eyes of the unified forces of the Filipino and American soldiers who were scanning the area for outlawed Japanese enemy.
