Our beloved family dog - Maggie, passed away this week. She had arthritis, respiratory problems and ailments common to a dog of her age - she was almost 13. That's 91 in dog years - she was definitely an "old lady."
There have been many theological debates about whether animals have souls, or if animals "go to heaven" when they die - all sorts of viewpoints and opinions. However, I think Heaven has a special place for animals - they surrounded Adam in the garden, and the Bible says that God brought them all before Adam that he might name them, and by so doing take responsibility for them and have them as companions. Animals were part of paradise and were intended for good like everything else that God made.
I looked up references to animals in the Bible - and I found this fascinating verse:
"..of animals after their kind, and of every creeping thing of the earth after its kind, two of every kind will come to you to keep them alive. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did."
- Genesis 6:20-22
What's fascinating to me about this verse is that its context is as being instructions to Noah about what is going to happen before, during and after the flood. God tells Noah that the animals will come to Noah - that he may preserve their lives and share his food with them. God's plan was to preserve life and re-create the world through Noah's family and the animals that came to him.
In the ancient times of Noah - animals, although probably not a source of food at this time, were far from being considered as companions. However, Noah was instructed to share his food with the animals - to share his life with them, so to speak.
In the accounts of the Nativity of Christ - the Gospel of Luke tells us that Shepherds (caretakers and protectors of animals) were first to hear the "Good News." They were told that they would find Jesus in a manger (a feeding trough for animals).
DEMONSTRATING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Maggie demonstrated a pure unconditional love - her greeting was always positive - and even in her last moments she tried to show her pleasure in our company by wagging her tail and "smiling" as she always did.
She was a Lab, Shepherd, and Chow mix - which made her incredibly loyal (Lab and Shepherd) and very jumpy and nervous (Chow.)
Her absolute favorite thing to do was to ride in the car with her head out the window - taking in the scents of the world. She always sat upright with a big "smile" on her face as she rode around town, surveying her "domain."
Maggie was our first family dog - I'd had a dog when I was young and living with my parents - but Maggie was the first family dog pet that lived with us and belonged to all of us. She taught us a lot about patience, forgiveness, love and joy. In her own way she also helped us to try and be humble. It's very difficult to be vain-glorious when a dog is licking your face or rolling-over and "demanding" to be petted!!
She "tolerated" our cats - as long as they didn't try to "muscle-in" on our affection or attention. She also tried to maintain peace among the cats by barking at them if they "got out of line," according to her standards of behavior.
Maggie will be missed - she was not just a dog - she was a companion for life. She loved us and we loved her - glimpsing, perhaps, another way that God reveals to us how much He loves us, by illustrating His love through the soggy kisses and wagging tail of a sweet old dog.
See you around Maggie.
What's fascinating to me about this verse is that its context is as being instructions to Noah about what is going to happen before, during and after the flood. God tells Noah that the animals will come to Noah - that he may preserve their lives and share his food with them. God's plan was to preserve life and re-create the world through Noah's family and the animals that came to him.
In the ancient times of Noah - animals, although probably not a source of food at this time, were far from being considered as companions. However, Noah was instructed to share his food with the animals - to share his life with them, so to speak.
In the accounts of the Nativity of Christ - the Gospel of Luke tells us that Shepherds (caretakers and protectors of animals) were first to hear the "Good News." They were told that they would find Jesus in a manger (a feeding trough for animals).
DEMONSTRATING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Maggie demonstrated a pure unconditional love - her greeting was always positive - and even in her last moments she tried to show her pleasure in our company by wagging her tail and "smiling" as she always did.
She was a Lab, Shepherd, and Chow mix - which made her incredibly loyal (Lab and Shepherd) and very jumpy and nervous (Chow.)
Her absolute favorite thing to do was to ride in the car with her head out the window - taking in the scents of the world. She always sat upright with a big "smile" on her face as she rode around town, surveying her "domain."
Maggie was our first family dog - I'd had a dog when I was young and living with my parents - but Maggie was the first family dog pet that lived with us and belonged to all of us. She taught us a lot about patience, forgiveness, love and joy. In her own way she also helped us to try and be humble. It's very difficult to be vain-glorious when a dog is licking your face or rolling-over and "demanding" to be petted!!
She "tolerated" our cats - as long as they didn't try to "muscle-in" on our affection or attention. She also tried to maintain peace among the cats by barking at them if they "got out of line," according to her standards of behavior.
Maggie will be missed - she was not just a dog - she was a companion for life. She loved us and we loved her - glimpsing, perhaps, another way that God reveals to us how much He loves us, by illustrating His love through the soggy kisses and wagging tail of a sweet old dog.
See you around Maggie.
2 comments:
That was very nice!! Im so sorry you lost your baby!! I know how much you all loved her! Our pets are certainly not only family but best friends!! xoxo Laura
Marty--
I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of Maggy, but as one who has a dog and a cat as companions, I appreciated your comments about animals and our relationship to them.
Frances
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