What the world’s ugliest dog taught me about God

It’s a title no pooch really aspires to have, but Yoda of Hanford, CA, is officially the world’s ugliest dog. He’s a sight. Hairless legs. Tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. Fur all amiss.


(The losers are not much prettier! Video here)


The 14-year old Chinese Crested Teacup Chihuahua was found in a field by the Schumacher family, wrapped in a garbage bag. At first, they thought it was a rat.


And you have to love the quote they gave to KSEE TV. “She’s ugly. No doubt about it. But she’s our ugly … she’s one of the family.”


I started thinking about this family and what would possess them to pull this dog from a bag in a dirty field, wash him, comb the bugs out of his fur, and then feed him until he was strong. And once he recovered, what would he ever amount to? He would never play fetch. He would never walk with the big dogs. He would always be an ugly runt.


But the Schumakers saw something in Yoda. They loved this little guy, and that’s what makes him almost — dare I say it — cute. They brought him out on stage, and he was strutting — chin held up high, chest puffed out. He belonged.


This encourages me, that even the ugly, the despised, the terrible can be cherished and loved.


I myself was once picked out of the pound by someone I thought who cared. But when my flawed self was revealed, it was back to the field of the forgotten  And then He found me. He brought me home and called me His own.


And once again, I’m learning a little more about grace.
Call me… Yoda, an adopted child of the King.


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Bonnie Gray over at Faith Barista is hosting a blog carnival on faith, and today’s topic is encouragement. To see more posts on the subject, please visit Faith Barista.