Do many of you have a pet? Did you ever have a pet? 45 million households in America have at least one pet. From our pets, we learn mercy, compassion, patience, and understanding — and we also learn what it means to receive unconditional love. Pets become a member of the family. I like what Edward Hoagland said… In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn’t merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog.” Louis Sabin said “No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich.” – And I agree with Andy Rooney who said, “The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.” – – Rita Rudner said” My husband and I are either going to buy a dog or have a child. We can’t decide whether to ruin our carpets or ruin our lives.”
And I have not forgotten the cat lovers… After scolding one’s cat one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference”. This quote…Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.” Dogs come when they’re called; cats take a message and get back to you later.” My favorite quote is this…” … work can wait another 30 minutes. There are more important things to do. Like throwing the ball.”
God likes animals….no, God loves animals. We see that all through scripture…
In the Old Testament…Genesis 24 relates how, when Eliezer went to Haran to find a wife for Isaac, he looked for a girl who would show kindness both to humans and to his animals. After Rebecca had drawn water for Eliezer and his men she immediately watered their camels. In Proverbs 12:10 we can read “A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal”.
God even made provision for animals in the 10 commandments. Exodus 20:10 teaches that animals must rest on the Sabbath Day. It’s very interesting that Jesus seemed to be around animals often, and He frequently used animals in His parables. It would appear that Jesus had animals on His mind. Jesus was born in a manger, which is a feeding trough for livestock and was surrounded by animals. Isn’t it interesting that of all the places that Jesus potentially could have been born, that it was in a stable with the animals? Just before Jesus went to the cross, the Bible says that He told the disciples to get a donkey and bring it to Him. He rode the donkey into Jerusalem to go to the cross. The Bible says that when Jesus returns He will ride a white horse. Jesus made the once-and-for-all sacrifice for humankind by dying on the cross. It also eliminated the necessity for animals to ever be sacrificed again!
Did you ever notice that when a person really loves someone, they talk about them all the time? That’s because they are thinking about them so much. Jesus obviously loves animals very much, because He had them on His mind so often! Sheep, fish, camels, donkeys, and of course, even sparrows.
Animals teach us so many things: to love unconditionally, to care about others rather than our possessions, to remember to be playful in life, and to snuggle with those we love as much as possible. They do not discriminate against others based on race, gender, religious affiliation, national identity, or sexual orientation. They allow us to see things the way they do — with curiosity and enthusiasm, and to wake up knowing that each day is a new adventure. They remind us to take a walk and enjoy the sunshine from time to time, and to trust that the world will provide everything we need. They remind us with their wagging tail, their joyful whinnying, or their delicious purring, “Don’t worry. Be happy”.
That is why People have brought animals into their homes and into their hearts since the beginning of recorded history.
Because of our intense love and devotion for our pets, when they pass, there is a great deal of grief. We feel it in our bones, and we feel it with full intensity. The heart knows no difference between the loss of a human and the loss of an animal. To our hearts, there is only pain – pain caused by losing someone we love deeply.
Sheemee is not my first dog. There was Minnie, Mike and Hogan before her. All dead now. Have you noticed how hard you grieve when a pet dies? The reason is that the death of a pet means the loss of a non-judgmental, unconditional source of love.
Let’s consider heaven for a moment. What do you believe heaven is like? If you ask this question of most people, you’re likely to get a description of a glorious garden, filled with beautiful trees and radiant flowers, with sparkling waters and soft breezes. Very few people imagine heaven as some sort of giant, sterile concrete parking lot, devoid of life.
We base our image of heaven on the beauties of the creation we live in now. And just as I can’t imagine a heaven without plants, neither can I imagine one without animals. Would heaven be a wonderful place — would it truly be “paradise” — if our pets weren’t there? For many, the answer is “no” — and obviously, God knows this! We are told that in our father’s house, there are many mansions. We are not told, and so we cannot say, whether there are also many gardens, pastures, forests, swamps, deserts, mountains, and streams. But I suspect, and also hope, that there are.