Rich Dixon is back

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Last time Monte comforted a little girl and opened the door to a conversation with her mother.

Once they left, Monte’s job was done. He went back to surreptitiously scrounging for crumbs.

A few minutes later a woman approached and asked if she could join us. She had observed our earlier exchange and wanted to talk about what she saw. Of course, she complimented Monte, who happily accepted her praise and scratches as though nobody ever paid any attention to him.

She asked about our bike jerseys and the ride. She stayed a few minutes, then asked us to wait while she retrieved her purse. She wrote an extremely generous donation check. “Please take this in honor of Monte and his kind, tender spirit. He’s a gift from God.”

Evangelism and outreach aren’t difficult. You need only an eighty-pound people magnet with a gentle, loving face and floppy ears.

Later that evening the Rich’s Ride Facebook page included two notable comments – one from the mother of a little girl and one from a new donor/supporter. Both expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet Monte. They may have mentioned Becky and me as well, but the comments left no doubt about which member of our team made the real impact.

I couldn’t count how many times similar interactions occurred.

“May we pet your dog?”

“Sure.”

And in between scratches, a conversation about God and hope and hungry kids.

God works in unexpected ways to arrange divine appointments. It’s our job to simply be available, even when the appointment occurs because we violate service dog etiquette because our service dog doubles as good will ambassador.

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This photo is one of my favorites…ever. Our friend Julie captured Monte’s spirit perfectly.

Never let anyone tell you dogs don’t smile.