Are you a dog lover? To help assess your answer, perhaps the following questions will help determine your conclusion:
a.) You are known to post more pictures of your dog than family members
b.) You design your plans around your dog
c.) You are known to share your bed with your dog, no matter his/her size
d.) You cry saying good-bye to your dog when leaving for vacation and feel guilty leaving the dog behind
e.) You own a pet camera and check on your dog numerous time throughout the day while you are at work
f.) You make sure your dog has a Christmas stocking, as well as a birthday party each year
If you answered a majority of these questions with an enthusiastic “yes”, you are in the same category as me regarding being an official dog lover! And who can blame us? Dogs can fill our lives with tremendous joy, companionship, and love!
For seventeen years, our family was blessed to have “Rocky”, a feisty yet lovable little white Maltese/Poodle mix, as our family dog. Although Rocky loved everyone in our family, he was a momma’s boy and always gravitated to me. When my kids used to joke about who was “Mom’s favorite”, they would come to the realization that Rocky was their stiffest competition. And when the house eventually became an empty nest, Rocky was still the loyal one who was home, keeping Ken and me company.
Two weeks after school ended last June, Rocky became very sick, and his vet confirmed that due to his age, there was nothing that could be done to correct the situation. Instantly, we realized the most loving thing to do was to schedule the dreaded appointment to put Rocky to sleep.
Knowing this would be my grandchildren’s first experience with death and losing something they loved, we decided it would be best to tell them ahead of time that Rocky was going to Heaven and help walk them through the grieving process. As they were processing their sadness, one suggested that we should throw Rocky a “Have Fun In Heaven” party complete with dog treats for him and cheesecake for us. And that’s exactly what we did!
Both children made cards for Rocky and shared, “This is a picture of Rocky being happy because he’s going to be with Jesus, but this is a picture of me being sad because I’ll miss him." And as heartbreaking as that day was, it warmed my heart to hear my grandchildren think of heaven as a beautiful place where there was no sickness or sadness because you are with Jesus.
Now, I realize that from a theological point of view, the perspective of dogs in Heaven can be debated. However, the reality is that our God loves us dearly and wants us to bring all of our pain, grief, and sorrow to Him, no matter how big or small the issue may be. And in this situation, we were so grateful to God for comforting our hurting hearts.
This year, as we focus on "Love Is Everything We Need", let's be mindful of the verse in 1 John 4:19 that states we love because He fist loved us. Furthermore, as a result of His great love for us, He will always be with us to help us through every situation.
Have a wonderful week knowing that you can give every challenging circumstance to God!
In Jesus' Love,
Mrs. Palka