Thirty-five years ago, I suffered one of the worst nightmares of my life: my six-year-old son was viciously attacked by a neighbor’s dog that tore his arm to shreds, causing years of emotional trauma and a string of medical procedures. But God was very present in our lives and He brought our son through this horror and enabled us to forgive our neighbors.

This past weekend, the nightmare returned; my six-year-old grandson was viciously attacked by a dog while outside of my son’s care, and it bit him mercilessly in the face. He has undergone plastic and dental surgery but will face years of future medical procedures and a childhood without front teeth. He has been a brave boy but is still in a state of shock and we don’t know the extent of his emotional damage at this time.

My nine-year-old granddaughter was also a victim as she stood by helplessly in fear and watched her brother being attacked. My son and his beautiful wife are taking this very badly; I know their pain. I’m praying that they will all heal from this horrific incident but even more, that God will restore their peace and help them to forgive the ones whose neglect allowed this to happen.

When our children are victimized, we become angry and defensive, but when we can let go of that anger and seek God’s grace, He will flood us with His peace. Then we can ask God to help us forgive others in times when it seems impossible to forgive, and those around us will see God’s love and grace in us and be encouraged to want this peace in their own lives.

Thanks for stopping by. Be encouraged and know that you are loved. … ronnie