Five pearls. I admit it was a strange thing for the woman to say to me. I had never planned to be a hero that January morning in 2013. Afterward I told reporters all the credit went to God. I had simply been where he wanted me to be. Then a woman came up to me at work and said, “God will bless you. He will give you five pearls to call on him in times of great need.” I thanked her, but I really wasn’t sure what she meant. Someday I would be.
Two days before Thanksgiving 2022, all I was thinking about was sitting down to a turkey dinner with my wife, Dianne, and sharing some scraps with “the kids,” our two dogs, the center of our lives.
Jaydon, our three-year-old goldendoodle, was the older one. We’d had Faith, a tiny doodle puppy, only a few weeks. From the day we brought her home, Jaydon had devotedly looked after her. I’d never seen anything like the way they bonded. They were quite a pair.
I didn’t worry about letting them run free in the unfenced backyard, even after dark. They’d watch out for each other, and Jaydon knew the territory. It was his turf, make no mistake about it. A little after six o’clock, I slid open the door to the deck. Jaydon streaked down the steps, barking crazily. Faith stayed by me, unnerved by the outburst. This wasn’t like Jaydon.
“What on earth?”
I grabbed a flashlight and shone the beam into the darkness. I caught a glimpse of what looked like a big squirrel tussling with Jaydon. Then came a piercing scream that sent a chill right through me. Faith barked frantically. I saw Jaydon staggering toward the deck, bloody.
Denne historien er fra June/July 2023-utgaven av Guideposts.
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Denne historien er fra June/July 2023-utgaven av Guideposts.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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In the Everyday
Cooking, cleaning, breaking up the kids’ fights... If only I had a few minutes for myself!
Worst-Case Scenario?
I’d had nagging injuries before and always recovered. Why wasn’t I confident that I would get better this time?
Honor Thy Son
I was a Marine officer, a lifer—or so I thought. Then came Patrick
Keeping It Real
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What You Wish For
She never wanted to see her abusive father again
God's Pillow
In 2016, the Soberanes Fire in Northern California was the costliest ever in the United States. It almost cost me my life, despite the promise I made to my wife
"I Heard You Praying"
As a hospital chaplain, I had seen hopeless cases. But never one more seemingly hopeless than this
"I Love You, Dad!"
Some of your favorite GUIDEPOSTS writers share what they learned from their fathers
Harold and Me
They’re nearly all gone now, the generation we call The Greatest.” This woman’s mission was to honor one of them
The Race Before Her
For this Olympic champion, success bred her greatest fear. How five verses set her free