A time of change:
Lately, I've struggled a lot with change. I've never been a big fan of change. It was difficult to change cities in my childhood, for example when I moved from Jaú to Brasilia, from the city where I had my first friends. So when I finally settled in Brasilia, again, we moved to the United States. There, from Philadelphia to Boston, Florence and back to Boston, then back to Brasília, then to the Seminary in Campinas and Goiânia, and back to Brasília, after São Paulo to Mogi. There were so many changes. A lifetime left behind often, here and abroad. I was happy to change when I met Marcia and we got married and it completely changed our lives, and since then, the changes have always been a bit more common and easier at times. Four years ago, we had a huge change of pace when we responded to God's call to come to Japan. So here it is! (Wow) Some changes are easier, others are more difficult...
Today, I was watching an episode of "Parks and Recreation," and a man named Ron tells Ron Swanson, who is having a hard time dealing with the death of a friend, that the only thing consistent in life is change. For those of us who are stubborn for change, this truth is sometimes the hardest to swallow.
Death, as Ron put it, is a great change that everyone has to face at some point in their life and, for some reason, it seems that death is everywhere. Michael Jackson died, and then beloved actor Robyn Williams also died. Billy Graham died and RC Sproul died. (Elvis did not die-Oh you brat you!). Death affects everyone. Unknown and beloved fans, friends and relatives die and leave their suffering impact. Each in a way, each person their pain. In the same way, here I am writing this still under the effect of my beloved godfather Marcos, who finally passed away due to a disease that struck him. This is awful, right? Death is the biggest and most painful change anyone can face. Someone you and many others have loved and cherished is gone forever, and leaves a hole in your heart that not even 15 mini-chip chocolate chip cookies can fill (yes, I ate 15 mini-chip chocolate chip cookies today, and I plan eat more).
So how do you deal with the death of a loved one, the death of a beloved celebrity or the death of one or hundreds of people you do not even know? Death is scary. It's absolutely terrifying. Maybe you believe everything in life happens for a reason. Perhaps some die to teach us lessons, to teach us to love or to teach us to let go. Maybe you believe there is no paradise or hell and that once you pass, you are dead and gone, or maybe you believe our souls go elsewhere on this earth. John Lennon (dead) told us to simply imagine ... I do not know what you believe in, and I certainly do not have all the answers either. No matter what you believe, be sure that God knows and he loves us, and he promised that the ultimate enemy, death would be dead. Because? Because Jesus was raised from the dead. And that makes all the difference.
A friend's widow (this friend died last year) posted something on Facebook about the death of her husband that made me laugh: "Although it's a big loss here, the tenors of the celestial choir have become much stronger and fun." What a beautiful image, is not it?
Everyone deals with death differently. Some people try to stay positive and remember all the loving memories they've had together, some get drunk and lie in bed for a few days, some are confused and do not know what to do - that's how I feel about everything that seems to be death to be on the prowl. Who is next? I think one of the most disturbing parts of death is that you realize that any of us can be next. Death could pick you up right away.
Okay, so here I go again. Living in Japan, away from EVERYONE I love. My parents already graying and feeling the effects of old age, my brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and my nephews. Twins and twins, geniuses, geniuses and geniuses - Far from us. Mogi to Philly for the Goias inland to Nagoya. This is a long and wide range of concerns that I really have to surrender to our Lord, knowing that he loves us and has a mission for us. Here I go again. Okay, to sum up the long story. I received the call yesterday - (the calls from Brazil here, always cause a bit of distress, until we talk a little and know that the news is: ok!). My brother said some "hellos" and "all’s good" and small talk, but I soon realized that it was one of those phone calls. Then he said, "Danny, I have some sad news ..." You see, when you live away from your loved ones, these are really the hardest words anyone can say. You start to expect the worst.
I actually felt some relief when he finally left with the subject. My lovely little black dog died. She (IT, and I call dogs its!) coiled under the car and died on a cold night in Mogi das Cruzes. I really loved this dog. Nina, as we called it, had a real story with us. Many times Nina gave me good reasons to thank and praise God: Nina had warned me about thieves in our house, so often warned us about snakes and dangers. It ran to us in order to find out if we were all right when we called it ... (or to see what it had to eat). Nina was a good dog. It was born on November 17, 2006 and its body went to the ground yesterday. What happens to it’s soul? Do dogs have souls? I remember a movie whose title was, "All the dogs go to heaven," and you know what? I asked God yesterday, that one day I could see that little black, loop eared thing that I considered my friend. I wonder if in a doggy paradise, Honey and Alleph, and Madame Meihn, and Pett, and Dolly and Toby, and Shoyu, and Kairos, and Kronos, and Black and Decker are all running around barking or chasing after a birdie (will they go to heaven?). I leave here my posthumous tribute also, to Sigmund Freud, my cat, to Carl Young, to Chessy, to Fandemim, (in português meas – He’s my Fan) and to the most special kitten, Nails (Neusinha) Itioka! All dear ones, they were part of my family's history.
The shock and pain that come with the loss of a pet is deep. In God's eyes, your pain and loss are very real and you will find comfort from time to time. Consider Matthew 5: 4, which says, "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
Others may not have empathy with the depth of the relationship you had with your pet, but that does not mean it was never true. People consider their pets as part of the family. Although pets are not people, and therefore should not receive the same value of people, pets love their human beings the same way they are loved (or more). Do not feel ashamed or guilty about the death of your beloved animal friend, but value the special moments you shared with your pet.
Dealing with the loss may seem impossible, but believe that you will find confort, with the help of God. There are healthy ways to work through the grieving process to feel more at peace and comfort.
Almost everyone has already lost a beloved pet. They become part of family history and many couples who do not have children consider their pets as their own children. So what happens to the animals after they die? Are they going to heaven? Will we ever see our beloved puppies again? What is their destination? What does the Bible say about animals after they die? These precious beloved animals include dogs, cats, horses and even some unorthodox pets that families have come to love and to suffer after they have left. I have kept snakes, lizards, caterpillars, rats, praying mantis, guinea pigs (I still have them), parrot, turtles, aquarium fishes, and hundreds of other creatures that were part of who I am, of whom my family is. Let's see what the Word of God says about whether animals or pets go to heaven or not?
Pets Make Up Family History
Are pets part of the family? This may seem like a trivial matter for some people, but for those who have pets, this is a question that was asked particularly after the death of their pets. What does the Bible say about babies, small children who die before accepting Jesus Christ as Savior or babies who were still murdered in the womb? A good argument can be made that God shows a special favor to the covenant children who die, so that believers may have more confidence than others that their children dying in infancy are among the elect. This idea is implicit in the fact that God does not treat his people with the same rigidity with which he treats others. On the contrary, with his covenant people, he is slow to anger and quick to show mercy. He also has a special love for the children of believers (Ps 103.17). Moreover, God's love for believers inclines him to be good to believers, and the Bible tells us that children are a gift from God to believers (Psalm 127: 3). This implies that one way in which God blesses the members of the covenant is by treating their children with mercy (compare Genesis 26.24; 1 Kings 11.12). In addition, the ideal blessing God describes for his people includes the life and blessing of their children (Isaiah 65: 18-23), creating for us an expectation that God will be good to our children even when they die in childhood (ie, that he elected them). When parents lose a child, they can be comforted by that fact, but that does not mean they will not be afflicted. It turns out, this is the doctrine that concerns people, not the animals we adopt or buy for our pleasure.
I remember losing many other pets and losing them is painful; our family has been saddened by those who also lost their animals. They are part of the family. They are treated often as a child and I had some pets that I thought they were humans by the way they acted. They are not. They are assets for the Family and make up the history of it. They are what they are. Animals at the service of humanity. Assets for the Family. Only in this sense can they be called family members.
I know several couples who are incapable of having children and therefore are especially attached to their pets and love them as they would their own children if they were able to have them. Many elderly couples and those who have seen a dying spouse are left alone with their pets, and their companionship sustains them through many lonely days and long nights. The love of a pet is often completely unconditional. They do not care about your day, what went wrong at work, what is your mood when you get home. They are always ready to jump on your lap and are so filled with joy to see you demonstrate that love in your actions. How many times have I come home from a hard day at work just to see my dogs or cats rush to greet me. The display of joy at seeing me made me forget the difficult day I had because they were there to fulfill an anxious expectation (intentional redundancy).
Famous Christians who have said that pets go to heaven:
Randy Alcorn in his book called "Heaven" states that the animals will be present in the Kingdom of Heaven. Famous Christian authors who believe that pets go to heaven include: C.S. Lewis, Peter Kreeft, Sylvia Brown, Niki Behrikis Shanahan, James Herriot and dozens and dozens of others; the list of Christian pastors, theologians, and clergymen is too long to list here. Suffice it to say that many Christians believe that pets will go to heaven and that there will be animals in heaven.
What the Bible says about animals
Let's take a look at the scriptures that relate to animals and what is said about them:
Ecclesiastes 3: 18-21: "As for humans, God tests them so that they will see that they are like animals. Certainly the fate of human beings is like that of animals; the same fate awaits the two: when one dies, the other dies. All have the same breath (literally "spirit"); humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. Everyone goes to the same place; all come from the dust and to the dust all return. Who knows if the human spirit rises and if the spirit of the animal descends to the earth? "
Job 12.10 "In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath (literally" spirit ") of all mankind."
Genesis 9: 9-10 "I have now established my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and all the living creatures that are with you-the birds, the flocks, and all the wild beasts, all that came forth out of the ark. with you - every living creature on earth.
Genesis 9:16 "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it, and I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on earth."
Genesis 6: 19-22 "You shall bring to the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of all types of birds, all kinds of animals and all sorts of creatures that move along the ground, will come to you to be kept alive. You should get all kinds of food that should be eaten and keep it as food for you and for them. "Noah did everything just as God commanded him."
Genesis 1:30 And to all the beasts of the earth, and all the birds of the air, and all the creatures that move on the ground, all things that have the breath of life, I give every green plant food.
Hosea 2:18 "In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky, and the creatures that move on the ground. Bow and sword and battle shall be abolished from the earth, that all may lie down safely. "
Luke 12: 6 "Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet none of them is forgotten by God. "
Animals in heaven
The Bible indicates that animals will exist after their return and the beginning of the Kingdom, as Isaiah 11: 6-9 says:
"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and spend the year together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow will feed on the bear, its young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The child will play near the snake's lair, the child will put his hand in the viper's nest. There shall be no hurt or damage in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. " Here is the Word of God, declaring that animals will still exist in the future after the coming of Christ.
Ecclesiastes mentions that there is a "spirit" in man, but also in animals in (3: 19,21), but this does not necessarily mean that it is an eternal spirit.
Revelation 19: 11-14 indicates, for example, that Jesus returned to earth with his army of saints on white horses: "I saw the sky standing open and before me was a white horse whose knight is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like burning fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on it that no one knows, but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and clothed in fine linen, white and clean. "
Trust that God is in control of your whole creation.
Any pain your pet may have experienced is gone. There is no more suffering and your pet is now at peace. Let it ease your heart.
Recognize your mourning as valid
It is not a random animal that you lost. Your pet was a valuable member of your family history. But not a member, not a person.
Recognize that your mourning is valid. Research supports the fact that a pet loss is as devastating as the loss of a friend or family member. No one has whined in the same way and there is no record of the date and time in the process. At least 87% of pet owners feel a symptom of sadness after the animal's death. Six months later, 35% of pet owners continue to suffer, and more than a year later, 22% still feel this painful loss.
How long your pain lasts and how you choose the grieving process are all valid. You can feel the five stages of sadness as you would any beloved person: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Take the time you need to mourn your loss in all your stages and know that your pain is real.
Reach out to loved ones who lost pets
Other friends and family of the pet owner have experienced the pain that you are going through and will empathize with many aspects of your pain. Reach out to your loved ones and let them give comfort to your heart.
Share stories of your pet's beautiful memories and talk about the struggles you are going through in pain. Let others help you carry the weight.
Honor the passage of your animal
As you would with the death of a loved one, a funeral service and memorial will help you to mark the death of your pet. It is not "too much" to honor your pet that way, because his relationship with him was important and transformative. Your pet had a sweet, crazy, or grumpy personality and is a unique being, just like anyone else! But remember the perspective. People come before animals. And some people are suffering the loss of a father and son husband. Be careful that your suffering does not exceed the loss of a person.
Meet with family and friends to tell stories about each of your pets. Invite others to bring photos and food, as in any memorial service. Create a special scrapbook with photos of your pet and record his or her memories of your loved ones. Looking back, these memories will help ease your pain.
When an animal dies, you may not feel like talking about it. You do not have to say anything, but consider journaling as an option. Writing helps you work through the grieving process and helps you keep track of how you are feeling. A diary is not a place of sadness, but of growth, and you can also write about happy times.
No matter how small or how much, let the words flow from your pen and heart to the page. No one else has to read these words but a magazine provides a place for the feelings and a haven for your heart when no one else seems to be listening.
Pray
Offer your pain to God, for that is not a burden to him. He is always listening. No matter how confusing your words are, let your heart talk to him. God knows your heart better.
Take your Bible and read Revelation 21.4: "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things is past. "When the suffering of your pet ceases, time will also heal your suffering. Let him share his pain and let him wipe his sad eyes.
Your little animal has found peace, and you will also find comfort as the weight of pain eases. With the help of family, friends and God, the burden will not be so heavy. Reach out to others and honor the memory of your pet. Know that your pain is valid, unique and a reflection of the powerful bond between you and your Family, and the part that your pet played to bring joy and happiness to you.
The conclusion
In examining the scriptures, we simply do not have biblical support to state with certainty whether our pets will be in heaven, but it seems that animals will exist in the kingdom of heaven (Isaiah 11: 6-9). If our pets are resurrected or not, we simply can not say for sure. A more important question is if you, the reader, are in heaven. It is useless to ponder the question of whether your pet goes to heaven if you are not there yourself. The only way to be sure is to make sure you can go there. Decide today to follow Jesus Christ as your Savior and be sure that you will go to heaven and receive eternal life. When we learn that Jesus gave himself up for people, and that he gave people the use, the benefit, the food, the amusement of animals, we also learned to put a correct perspective on the value of animals compared to the value of people. As for your pets being in the sky or not, the only way to find out is by getting there. And on this path, the rule is to love God above all things and the NEXT as yourself. This is my prayer for you.
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