On The Healing Journey

Friday, January 30, 2015

Thoughts on Bodey...or All Dogs Go To Heaven


I keep listening for Bodey. I knew I would miss him terribly. What I didn’t know was how much I depended on him. I relied on him to greet me. I trusted him to protect me. I followed him outside and benefited from sunshine and fresh air. I sought his approval with eye contact. I wanted his love.

He was like my shadow. Always there, standing beside me, keeping the kitchen floor crumb-free – sort of. Circling the coffee table while watching the news, sleeping under the bed with only his head out, always watching from the dining room window or the top of the steps, and when he just couldn’t keep up, finally sprawling on the corner of the rug, watching. Always watching.

When my son posted on Facebook the news that Bodey had died, there were 341 “likes” within minutes. He wrote, “Bodey lived an amazing life of lazy afternoons on the porch, burying bones next to St. Francis in the garden, and avoiding hardwood floors at all costs, preferring  Persian rugs. He was a footstool for my mom in the mornings and a source of amusement and laughter for my dad. We will miss you like crazy, old man.”

Friends write with endearing memories of Bodey, draw pictures with angel wings, and reflect on their own pets. Cookies and flowers come to my doorstep.  It seems pets are a universal connection with all of us. And why am I not surprised? We love to be loved and pets love us unconditionally. No conditions, no unreasonable expectations, always ready, always happy. Mostly content.

I would like to think I might see Bodey again one day. His legs strong and his eyes bright again.

In here wonderful book on Heaven, Joni Eareckson Tada talks about pets.“If God brings our pets back to life, it wouldn’t surprise me. It would be just like Him. It would be totally in keeping with his generous character….exorbitant, excessive, extravagant in grace after grace. Of all the dazzling discoveries and ecstatic pleasures heaven will hold for us, the potential of seeing Scrappy would be pure whimsey—utterly, joyfully, surprisingly superfluous…Heaven is going to be a place that will refract and reflect in as many ways as possible the goodness and joy of our great God, who delights in lavishing his love on his children. (Holiness in Hidden Places, 133)

And Randy Alcorn, in the 40th chapter of his book Heaven, writes, “ If we regard pets as God-created companions entrusted to our care, it is only right that we should experience grief at their loss. Who made these endearing qualities in animals? God. Who made us to be touched by them? God…We need not be embarrassed either to grieve their loss or to want to see them again. If we believe God is their creator, that he loves us and them, then he intends to restore his creatures…“

If you think about it, animals are mentioned throughout the Bible. Adam and Eve shared a garden with them and were given dominion over them. And the serpent even talked. Noah was given charge of protecting and caring for the animals when God destroyed the earth. The dove became a messenger to safety.  God spoke with Job about his wonderful giant land and sea creatures behemoth and leviathan (Job 40-41). And when Jesus was born, the sheep were some of the first witnesses to God Incarnate.  The Bible speaks of Balaam’s talking donkey and eagles calling with loud voices. Doesn’t Revelation 5:13 say that “every creature” in the universe is said to sing and give praise to God? I listen to birds sing every day and owls send messages through the night. And we all are fascinated that dolphins and whales have a sophisticated communication system. There is order to our world for sure. We can read about it, read what others say about it, and see it with our very eyes every day.

Revelation 21:5 says, “Behold, I am making all things new.” I guess that means ALL creatures of our God and King.

Praise Him! Allelujah!



Thursday, January 15, 2015

Looking for the Light



I am ready for the gray days to move on. Even the birds aren’t chirping much, save for the large hawk screeching above the trees outside my window. His one-syllable screech seems to call, “Sun, Sun!” And yet, the sun does not appear. Hidden by the continuous mist and cloud cover, the light refuses to break forth. Just a ray, I plead, just a ray of light would lift my spirits, raise my energy level, and put a song in my spirit. But for today, the clouds will continue to reign. I must look for the light.

Epiphany is the season after Advent in the Christian year. It is a time of thinking and reading and pondering light, God’s light. The Light of the World, Jesus. Light overcoming darkness. Light to guide Wise Men, Light to direct my path. Light to brighten my day. The Light of the World came to a people in darkness. John 1:5 talks about that in present tense, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

And we still don’t understand it. We read and reread, study, and ponder. The mystery of God’s Light, Jesus Christ, remains a great mystery of simple trust and hope. That is why we must read and study God’s Word. There is a verse before the famous “Great is thy faithfulness” verse in Lamentations 3 that says, “But this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.” We must call to mind God’s great love for us. Every morning, whether we are in the light or in the clouds. He is there. The Light of the world is shining on us. We can “call it to mind” by giving thanks and praise for all the good in our lives. The breakfast we took for granted. The healthy children who skipped out the door. The faithful employees who support us. The temperature controlled house in which we live. When "we call to mind" , we learn to trust with our questions.

When we “call to mind” those gifts, the verse goes on to say, “ therefore I have hope.” Hope for things we do not understand. Hope for the future. When we praise and give thanks, our hearts lift, a light pours in, and we are filled with hope. Our faith is strengthened and we are restored. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Sure and certain is confidence in our faith. No matter what.

And faith will see us through the clouds of doubt, fear, sorrow, pain.

And faith will guide, direct, comfort and heal.

Isaiah says to lift our eyes and see.