We recently had to face not one but two of our cats dealing with urinary obstructions. I am not fully versed in praying for animals but certainly found a couple of very comforting verses in praying for these precious family members. One has survived and is thriving and one we buried this week. This was hard as we saw him turn the corner and slowly improve to the point we has hope and then suddenly decline. So many answered prayers and then loss.

In grief, I was asking the Father where our pets really go after death (though I suspect I well know the answer). I have parted with 2 cats, one because of old age, and now this young one, who we were all dearly attached to. Both times I asked if I could have them back in the Kingdom. It was not the answer to my first question that brought comfort but the thought that followed and answered an unasked one that provided even greater comfort.

That these family members, so full of unconditional, even fierce, completely vulnerable, unreserved love, affection, loyalty, acceptance, adoration, forgiveness, endearing/distinct personalities and dependence, are a precious glimpse of the Kingdom to come. Not only how we will feel towards the Father and other humans but also the warmth and love and affection that we will feel coming towards us. I praise Him that He is so faithful to provide us with these amazing companions and for every minute that we get to have them in our midst. I think this is in part why it is so very hard to be parted from them. I think we inherently understand that in them and through them we experience of touch of divine love, acceptance and affection, so when they go, we feel the disproportionately big hole in our lives they leave behind.

It is so easy when we are grieving to imagine that it would be better to protect our hearts from the potential loss of our loved ones. I choose to say yes Lord, to however many dear friends, human and animal that he brings into my life, and savor the light of the Kingdom that they touch my life with for as long as Yahweh allows me to have them. The sorrow we feel in missing them ,I believe is the grief we feel in having had the ability to cuddle, touch, interact and hold the Kingdom in our arm, suddenly taken our of our reach. I will be cherishing these little Kingdom light carriers on a whole new level going forward.