It was a Saturday morning and Ollie and I were visiting at an Assisted Living facility. As we walked to the main living area to meet with the sweet residents we had come to love, we noticed someone sitting on a bench by himself. I had never seen him so Ollie and I went over to introduce ourselves. The residents said, "oh he doesn't talk to anyone." I knew Ollie could get him to talk so I sat Ollie beside him and introduced ourselves and told him today was pet therapy day—did he want to pet Ollie.
He sat quietly for several minutes before he gently lifted his hand and began to stroke Ollie. Within a few minutes he began to tell us about the dog he had as a child. His father traveled a lot, so he only had his dog to play with. He loved his dog because it brought him joy and comfort. Then with the biggest smile he turned to me and said, "I have one question for you—do you know Jesus?" I told him briefly my salvation story and he said that he got saved as a boy when his preacher asked those that wanted to know Jesus to please come forward. He said, "I didn't walk, I ran up to the front and accepted Jesus."
We see these types of stories all the time. Just the mere petting of a dog can help people recall fond memories. That day Ollie made a new friend—and so did I.