Philip Griffin, in his sermon "A God Who Redeems," writes:

I saw a sign once that I love—a lost dog sign. There was a big cash reward for whoever found the lost dog, and a description of the dog. It said: "He's only got three legs, he's blind in the left eye, he's missing a right ear, his tail has been broken off, he was neutered accidentally by a fence—ouch!—he's almost deaf, and he answers by the name 'Lucky.'"

That dog isn't lucky! He's been through a whole lot of mess. But he's lucky because he's got an owner who loves him and wants him back. That's what redemption is all about!