Continuing education for better witness

Many of you have asked about Ingrid, my current foster dog. Ingrid came to live with me last August just days before the fair at the age of 11 months. She had already been trained for nine and a half months at the Prerelease Center in Cleveland where she lived 24/7 with two female prisoners.

During her prison time, she came to be known as Maxi Dog. She was highly accomplished in all commands and could/would do everything asked of her. She even learned to help with the laundry -- taking the basket to the laundry, removing items from the dryer and taking the basket back to their cell. (No, she didn't fold the clothes.)

The day I picked her up was a sad day for the prisoners, but Assistance Dogs of America (ADAI) personnel slipped Ingrid out of one hand and put a new puppy in the other thus easing the loss.

While the puppy is in the prisoners' care, he/she learns basic obedience skills and many commands specific to ADAI's training requirements. However, the prison environment falls short of meeting the dog's need to be socialized. Thus, each puppy is furloughed to a regular home one week each month and in this way he/she experiences many things related to living in the real world. Ingrid's "furlough mom" was present when I picked her up and was just as tearful s the inmates.

Her training did not stop when she left the prison but just changed directions. I soon discovered she was afraid of the dark. Think about it -- it's never dark in prison! I've worked with her and she is now past the problem.

Last week we attended the Joyce Meyer Conference staying in a hotel and patronizing a nice restaurant. Ingrid took it all in stride and soon knew where to locate the choice blade of grass for her business. She has her own way of touching hearts and was instrumental in my striking up acquaintances with several people. While with me, she has endeared herself to a g reat many people I probably would never have met except for the common bond -- Ingrid. When she returns to ADAI for final training in July or August, it will be with a plethora of experiences under her belt (vest).

Now, I don't recommend going to prison to learn the basics of the Christian walk, but I do see the value of being in frequent contact with other Christians where we learn to talk the talk and walk the walk, where we can share life experiences, possibly some quite foreign to us. Then after striking out on our own (furlough time) in the real world, we can return to our Christian fellowship community to share our "outside" experiences and to learn from others how they could/would/did cope in similar situations.

If yo were to visit our Sunday school class, you would her us discuss how to deal with everyday life events, how to be a witness for Christ in any situation. Our discussions may go far afield, but we find encouragement and instruction in the fellowship of other Christians. It's part of our continuing education in walking the Christian life.