Paw Print

I recently read the novel The Power of One written by Bryce Courtenay in 1989.  The story is set in South Africa during the 1930’s and 1940’s and is about a young Anglo African boy nicknamed Peekay.
Peekay lead a challenging life having to find his inner strenght to survive time and time again while befriending and being coached by several very special people he encountered through his journeys. 
The story is one of the most powerful messages I’ve read in a long time and a message I hope I do not ever forget, The Power of One.

When I read the story below I immediately thought of The Power of One!

This is a story about a dog who was born on Christmas Eve in 2002.

He was born with 3 legs - 2 healthy hind legs and 1 abnormal front leg which needed to be amputated.
He of course could not walk when he was born.  Even his mother did not want him.
He was rejected and scorned.

His first owner also did not think that he could survive.  Therefore, he was thinking of putting him to sleep..
At this time, his present owner Jude Stringfellow came into his life and wanted to take care of him. 
She was determined to teach and train this dog to walk by himself.  She thought, all we need is a little faith.
Therefore she named him ‘Faith.’

In the beginning, she put Faith on a surf board to let him feel the movements of the water.
Later she used peanut butter on a spoon as a lure and to reward him for standing up and jumping around. 
Even the other dogs at home helped to encourage him to walk.  Amazingly, after only 6 months, like a miracle,
Faith learned to balance on his 2 hind legs and jumped to move forward.  After further training in the snow, he can now walk like a human being.

Faith loves to walk around now. 
No matter where he goes, he just attracts all the people around him.  He is now becoming famous on the international scene. 
He has appeared in various newspapers and TV shows.  There is even one book entitled ‘With a little faith’ being published about him. 
He was even considered to appear in one of Harry Potter movies.

is present owner Jude Stringfellow has given up her teaching job and plans to take him around the world to preach,
‘that even without a perfect body,  one can have a perfect soul.’

In life there are always undesirable things.
Perhaps a person who feels things are not going as well as they could will feel better
if they change their point of view and see things from another perspective.

Perhaps this message will bring fresh new ways of thinking to everyone.
Perhaps everyone can appreciate and be thankful for each beautiful day that follows.

Life is the continual demonstration of the power of thinking positive and having faith.
Believe in yourself.  Never lose faith.