A puppy was born without its two front legs. Startled by the sight so different from her other newborns, the mother dog rejected him, refusing even to nurse him. While the other puppies—born from the same womb—followed their mother everywhere as she guarded the flea market, this fragile life could not even lift his head. He lay starving on the cold winter ground, among piles of trash, slowly dying.

Seventeen‑year‑old Reuben found the pitiful creature and, overwhelmed by the sight of such desperate life, called his mother, Judy.

“Mom… do you think we can fix this puppy?” “…We can’t fix him,” she replied, “but we can help him.”

Nearly seven years later, the puppy—now named Faith—became the most famous dog in the world, proudly walking upright on his hind legs. Wherever Faith goes, people are not only amazed and curious; those who have fallen into despair and see no way forward find renewed strength, rediscover joy, and recover a sense of purpose.

Once in New York, a woman who had lost both legs to diabetes lived in a wheelchair and had sunk into deep depression. Unable to bear it any longer, she went out to buy a gun to end her life. On the way, she happened to encounter Faith—the dog who walks on two hind legs. She burst into tears on the spot, ashamed that she had shown less courage than a dog. In that moment, she found the will to live again.

Recently, Faith has become a well‑known motivational speaker, traveling across the country to bring hope and courage. He has appeared on numerous TV programs and events, and even received the title of Honorary Sergeant from the U.S. Army. He visits military hospitals nationwide, offering hope and confidence to wounded soldiers and their families—those who lost limbs or suffered severe injuries in war. Faith receives more than 200 emails of gratitude every day from across the nation.

Though Faith cannot speak human language, he never loses his smile. With his cheerful “woof, woof, woof,” and his proud, excited walk among people, he gives a wordless gift of inspiration.

The journey to becoming “the dog who walks on his hind legs” was anything but easy. To find balance, Faith had to crash his chin and body against the ground countless times each day. He had to summon every ounce of strength to empower his fragile hind legs. Faith and Judy trained daily—with peanut butter and cookies in hand—drawing out the hidden potential within him and reshaping the environment around him.

In the end, they discovered it: the disability that nearly killed him became Faith’s unique gift, offering us endless sacred challenge and joy.

It is a new year. We greet it carrying all the prayers left unfinished from the last, though nothing in our external circumstances has changed. Yet I am convinced that when we live with a holy awareness of the astonishing possibilities within and around us, each day can become a special and blessed moment.

Faith came to me at the dawn of the new year to remind me: the energies of happiness already given to me—faith and endurance, peace and joy, the discovery of beauty, the driving force of life— these immense treasures are not meant to be neglected, but to be used boldly and courageously.

— Yoon Wan‑Hee, Faith Column, LA Christian Today, January 6, 2010