How Will God Use Your Passion?

Posted on Sep 04, 2018 Topic : Inspirational/Devotional
Posted by : Sandi Swiridoff

By profession, I’m a registered nurse. And because of my desire to help children in need, I started my career in pediatrics. But I’m also a wife, mother, Christian, friend, quick-witted punster, and passionate photographer who loves to bring joy to others through my photos. Photography is what energizes me and keeps me focused on the beautiful things in life. But in life, as in photography, focus can change. One day, without much notice, foster grandchildren entered my world, and I turned a corner to discover a wonderful new journey.

A few years have passed since then, but sometimes, when I think back on that period, I can still feel the bittersweet and raw tug of the emotions I experienced. My foster grandsons, whom I loved immeasurably, were getting ready to transition from my daughter’s home to their adoptive home. We had been very involved in their lives, and now they were leaving us for their forever home. It was a beautiful but difficult time for our entire family.

And so, as silly and cliché as it sounds, Eric and I thought a puppy might help us fill the child-sized void we would soon experience. One Sunday afternoon we took a drive with our grandsons to “just look”’ at a litter of Australian Labradoodle puppies. However, when we arrived, we discovered only one pup was left in the litter. As I reached down to pick up this little ball of fur, he licked my face. At that moment I knew he was going home with us. That was the day Reagan and I first met.

There is nothing quite like puppy therapy to get through a rough time. Reagan’s spunk and playfulness helped us all. Our grandsons quickly latched on to the notion that we had “adopted” Reagan. We took that and ran with it, using Reagan’s story as an example of real life adoption and how, even though he was sad to leave one family, he was welcomed with love and acceptance into his new family. The boys loved talking about Reagan’s adoption as they prepared for their own.

The weeks flew by, and before I knew it my foster grandsons had transitioned to their new home. Thankfully, Reagan was there to help ease my heartache. He gave me something to focus on (pun intended), loving my camera as much as my camera loved him. We were a match made in heaven.

When Reagan was 11 months old, a new foster grandson entered my life, Little Buddy. Coincidentally, he was also 11 months old, just like Reagan. From the moment they first met, Reagan and Little Buddy have been the best of friends. Reagan always brings a smile to Little Buddy’s face and elicits endless giggles. Watching their bond warms my heart, as they have the same energy level and personality. I began to share glimpses of their special relationship through photos on social media. Eventually, the photos caught the attention of several media outlets and were shared globally, along with our story.

Reagan and Little Buddy have brought so much joy to my life, as have all of my foster grandchildren. I never imagined that a dog and an Instagram account would tie my passions together and impact hundreds of thousands of people along the way.