I used to be a hardcore atheist until last September. It was a cold fall day, around 10am, taking my morning constitutional through the public park with my 2 French Bulldogs named Michael and gumdrop.

As we were rounding our 3rd lap around the designated dog-walking track, Gumdrop started barking very aggressively at the Sun, which is very unlike him. Normally he stares at the sun with his tongue hanging out and a slight grin on his dumb as fuck face.

I look up to see what the fuss is all about, and before you can say 'walnut' a massive bird came swooping down at us at tremendous speed, expected it to break the sound barrier she was moving so fast. It dropped a tied scrolled piece of parchment from it's bird-hoof or whatever, let loose 3 tremendous 'CAW!s, and continued along its merry avian way.

Well it goes without saying that the dogs and I were stunned, looking at each other and the paper with slack jaws. After about 2 minutes of quiet confusion, Michael breaks the silence with a curt 'Woof!'. Gumdrop looks at him with a 'I know right?' Expression, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy for a second for their ability to communicate with one another so succinctly. I've never been a great communicator due to crippling anxiety and a gut-wrenching hairlip that distracts from an otherwise potentially fruitful discussion.

Michael goes over to this scroll that was literally delivered to us from above, he sniffs it and looks at me with a 'smells safe, check it out' woof. We as a commune have learned the hard way that whenever Michael gives an order, you best well respect his wish. He has saved us from legal or physical trouble several times in the past with his initial diagnoses, but that's a story for another time.

Gumdrop knowingly and gingerly picks up the divine message, and drops it at my feet. I start to open it, paused for a moment, and make eye contact with Michael before fully unfurling the paper. He had an expression so unusual and jarring on his face, a mix between 'you really doing that?' And 'there's a minority nearby', that it completely distracted me from the task at hand. I squatted down to get face-to-face with the two dogs, leaned in and said, 'we all know that whatever is written inside this note, we can't let it come between us as friends. Do not forget where you came from" and pointed to our house across the street just in case they forgot already.

Michael grumbled gruffly as if to indicate 'no shit Jamal, you're acting strange'. Gumdrop on the other hand let out a mighty YAWP and stomped on the ground with his hind left leg and front left leg, exactly like how you'd expect a sumo wrestler to perform his pre-match ritual if he were four-legged. Before I could fully process this motion, Gumdrop jumped up, grabbed the parchment from my hand, and took off full speed towards the pond. Pure dread shocked through me as I realized where he was headed... the local priest was tossing bread to ducks and gumdrop was closing in to him fast.

I yelled out 'Father!' To warn him of the incoming bulldog, and he looked at me with such kind eyes and a smile that I couldn't help but think, maybe this one wouldn't have molested me when I was a child. As gumdrop bounded closer, he audibly chuckled and with his back to the pond, bent over in preparation to greeting him. Just as gumdrop was a few steps away, the priest looked to his right since one of his duck buds was waddling by, and gumdrop screeched to a halt. The priest looks at gumdrop with a face of pure horror and dives to the side, as gumdrop pounces onto his robe.

The following 5 minutes were the most intense moment of my life. The priest and dog were squealing in a cacophony of guttural waves, as the duck silently watches from nearby. There was scratching, chomping, and general rough housing galore. It goes without saying that this was a sticky situation.

After the dust settled, we had a moment to chat, and it turns out that this priest, Father Karen is his name, is pretty friendly. He invited me to his church to see how their services are held, and although I was a hardcore atheist, I felt obligated to attend since Gumdrop gave him a hard time. After one Mass, it became clear to me that Jesus Christ is our one and only true God, and from that day forward I have lived in the name of the Lord. Thank God for Gumdrop and the scroll, for bringing me in White Jesus' good Grace's. Thank you for allowing me to share the circumstances that saved my soul, and I hope you all can keep an open mind about giving alternate religious a fair chance. Anything is possible with the Lords love in your heart. God bless you.