Finn’s Forever Person

“What’s up, Finn…”

“Finn, my guy…”

“Big Finn Man…”

“Finn… YOU’RE THE BEST!!!”

These are the kinds of loud cheers I hear from my fellow convicted criminals as I walk The Fantastic Mr. Finn around our lopsided prison track.

Over the past few months, our friend Finn has become quite the celebrity on this cold concrete compound… and he has earned every bit of it.

One of the main reasons Finn is so loved by my barbed wire brothers is because of the overflowing LOVE he carries everywhere he goes.

If you ever get the privilege of spending even a single moment with The Big Finn Man… your heart will feel lighter, your spirit will lift, and something inside you will shift.

I know that because it happened to me.

This dog has changed me.

During our long afternoon walks around the loose gravel track, Finn will sometimes stop… lock eyes with me… and just stare straight into my soul.

And every single time he does that, I hear the same words whispered in the wind…

“You are LOVED, Brett.
I see you.
I adore you.
And I cherish every second I get to be with you.”

I know that might sound crazy to some people…

But when you’ve spent years buried under shame…

Being seen like that changes everything.

Finn is special. There’s no doubt about it.

And one of my favorite things to do on a slow, quiet afternoon in prison is lay on my metal bunk and daydream about his forever person.

For some reason… I keep picturing a little girl.

A sweet, brave, strong little princess… a lot like my daughter Lula.

A little girl who might be walking through her own season of struggle…

And needs a superhero with a tail to step in and remind her she’s not alone.

I can see it so clearly…

Finn standing tall and proud right beside her.

Looking into her eyes… the same way he looks into mine…

And whispering those same words:

“Don’t be scared anymore.
I’m here.
I’ve got you.
You’re my person… and I LOVE you.”

And from that moment on…

They become inseparable.

When she’s done playing dress-up, Finn will help clean up every last toy—like it’s his mission.

When she needs help getting dressed, he’ll open her drawer, grab her clothes, and bring them right to her like a proud little assistant.

On their walks to the park, he’ll match her tiny steps stride for stride… never pulling ahead, never falling behind.

And if she drops the leash?

No problem.

Finn will pick it up and gently place it right back into her small waiting hands.

At the grocery store, he’ll carry her bag like it’s the most important job in the world…

And people will stop and stare—not because of what he’s doing…

But because of the love between them.

And at night…

He’ll hop up into her fluffy pink bed, curl up close, and stay right there until she falls asleep—safe, peaceful, and smiling.

That’s who Finn is.

He takes someone’s hardest season…

And turns it into something filled with joy.

Finn… I’m honored to be a part of your story, buddy.

You really are a guardian angel with a tail.

“Thank you, Lord Jesus, for placing Finn inside my prison cell. I am grateful for every second I get to spend with this incredible pup. I know You already have the perfect person picked out for him—and I know a family’s life will be forever changed the moment Finn walks through their door wearing his red cape. All glory to You, God—the ultimate Redeemer and Master Weaver. Amen.”

Recently, I’ve been reading about an incredible woman named Corrie ten Boom, who endured unimaginable suffering during World War II.

In her book The Hiding Place, she wrote:

“But… if the Gospels were truly the pattern of God’s activity, then defeat was only the beginning. I would look around at the bare little cell and wonder what conceivable victory could come from a place like this.”

Finn, my dear friend…

I think it’s safe to say your story is one of those victories.

A miracle… born inside a bare little prison cell.

I LOVE YOU, BUDDY.

And I’m beyond grateful I get to be your prison puppy trainer.

Sincerely,
Brett
(The guy who gets to walk with the coolest canine on this concrete compound)

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A Note From Noél 

“Then defeat was ONLY the beginning…”

Those words pierce straight through my family’s season of struggle and give me the strength I so desperately need to endure the challenges that come daily, and monthly, as a prison wife.

“WE CAN HANDLE THE HARD.”

That’s how Brett and I end our letters to each other every night.

Every single day, we are intentionally speaking life into our marriage, fighting to stay connected in a season that is constantly trying to tear apart two souls that were meant to live as one.

In my old life, as a more “stable” stay-at-home wife, I used to think handling the hard was about personal strength… about willpower… about pushing through no matter what.

And please don’t hear me wrong, I have so much respect for the people who have done exactly that in situations far harder than mine.

BUT…

After years of trials… and honestly, WAY MORE breaking points than I can count…

I’ve learned something different.

Something deeper.

Humble surrender is the only posture that truly heals the inevitable pain and brokenness that follows a storm of struggle.

And I want to be really clear about what I mean by that—

I’m not talking about surrendering to the circumstances.
I’m talking about surrendering through them.

We were never meant to carry the weight of worry, stress, shame, and exhaustion on our own.

As children of God, we were given something priceless:
The ability to hand our suffering back to the One who can actually heal it.

Because real healing doesn’t come from holding it all together…

It comes from finally letting it go.

REAL HEALING begins the moment we “HAND THE HARD” to Him.

We were never created to carry this kind of brokenness by ourselves.

And to anyone reading this who feels like they’re barely holding on…

I see you.
I’m with you.
And you are not alone.

We can handle the hard—
but only when we make the choice to give God the space to love us back to who we truly are.

Brett’s prison journey is living proof that God’s grace has no boundaries.

Not even razor-sharp barbed wire wrapped around an electrified fence can stop His love from reaching us.

Nothing can.

Mr. Finn… thank you for being a reminder that love really does win.

You are, without a doubt, a guardian angel with a tail.

“Lord Jesus, thank you for never abandoning us—even in our lowest moments. Thank you for always finding a way to love us back to ourselves. Today, I surrender all of my ‘hard’ to You. I trust that I am Your child, that You hear me, and that You are healing what hurts. Thank You for the cross… and for making us whole. Amen”

The truth is…

The Bartletts are standing right in the middle of a brutal storm.

BUT…

We are also watching God take every broken piece…

and weave it into something beautiful.

Something redemptive.

Something only He could create.

Because maybe… just maybe…

defeat really was only the beginning

of a

VICTORIOUS GOD STORY.

With so much love,
Noél
(A prison wife learning how to “HANDLE THE HARD” by surrendering the hurt to her Father in heaven.)