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On Tuesday mornings, a group from my church meets for a prayer session, and we most of all pray for our country. Our sessions range from lively and intense to solemn. It is a group full of love and friendship.  

The lady who is our host most of the time lost her husband six months ago. Her 14-year-old little Dachshund named Bocci (pronounced Botchy), which means kisses in Italian, misses her daddy dearly. When Vita (her mom) told me she had bladder cancer, she asked me to pray for Bocci.  

Vita told me, “Bocci is my connection with Bob, and it would kill me to lose her.”  

Bocci went to the Upstate Specialist, and money was not an object; only my prayers were needed. I learned this week at our prayer session that after a second diagnosis, Bocci didn’t have bladder cancer; it was merely a hernia. Meds and painkillers are being administered. I’d like to think the kisses Bocci gave me this week were a thank you, but kissing is just her nature.

I received a call last week from a lady whose mother’s dog, Fifi, a 14-year-old Pomeranian, needed help. Fifi had just had teeth work done and had developed some sort of internal polyps. The removal would be around $1,000, which her mom didn’t have.

My mind immediately thought of Bocci, and I told the lady that I would handle Fifi’s operation. “Just do what you can, and I’ll do the rest,” I told her. She put her mother on the phone, and I heard, “God bless you, Lennie, Fifi means the world to me.”

I paid Fifi’s bill today. Her procedure was successful, and she is home now recovering and sharing love with her Momma. I sent Fifi off with a prayer, which I have been doing for years with all my kids. After handling problems I used to say, “Prayer is the next best thing.”  

Fool that I was, I’ve learned that prayer is the best thing; there is a reason why we say, “All honor and glory belong to Him.” Because make no mistake, it does.

On behalf of my two sweet little girls Fifi and Bocci, thanks for listening.

Leonard Rizzo is the founder of Lennie’s Kids, a nonprofit organization that helps sick and injured animals in the foothills, promotes animal welfare, and works to find homes for pets.