Category: Animals & Faith

Animals hold such a dear place in my heart. So much so, that I’ve felt guilty at times for how much I adore them, how much I desire to rescue them, and how much they impact me on a daily basis.

Can you relate in any way?

When I first met my husband, he had two beautiful Boston Terriers, named Kemba and Pepper, and I have my Pit Bull mix, named Oakley. Although I absolutely adore each of them, I had never met a dog like Pepper before. She was a diabetic and overcame a back surgery that the veterinarians said she would not be able to live through. I saw the detail that my husband and his family put into caring for her as she needed insulin every morning and evening, could rarely hold her bladder, and dealt with seizures towards the end of her life. On top of her resiliency, she was beautiful. There was something different about Pepper though, in the way that her presence softened your heart. In the way that her presence softened my heart.

I had such a deep respect for how they cared for her and how she cared for them. She had a love for life… and food, that was remarkable.

After a night of multiple seizures, we had to put her down and give her back to Jesus (something I didn’t understand then but, understand now). And as we were sharing stories about her a few weeks after, my mother in law said something that I will never forget: “Pepper had the most beautiful soul.”

And she did. But, at the time, as I agreed, I realized that I had never thought about their souls and began to wonder if they really had one.

I wrestled with this for a while and it became tormenting in a way. I started asking a lot of questions. Does God approve of us loving our pups as much as we do? Is it okay to work with animals over working with humans? Are animals important to Him? If they don’t go to heaven, why would He create them just to get rid of them? Regardless of how many questions I had, not going to heaven never seemed like the right answer. That’s not the God that I know.

I felt like Blair Waldorf questioning her future after being waitlisted for Yale.

Part of me was nervous to ask Him because I feared His answer. Our salvation is only found in Jesus, when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. “How can they accept Him? they can’t even talk!” I uttered to myself one day.

So, I decided to force it out of my mind, believe that she was there, and even went so far as to ask our pups if they would accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior – I took their tail wags as a yes!

God is so good; of course animals go to heaven.
I would tell myself. 

After being exhausted by the tormenting thoughts of the possibility that animals may not go or be there, I looked up and pleaded with God, “Please God, please let our animals go to heaven, please let them be there with us, I just can’t imagine heaven without them!” 

A few weeks later, I began digging into scripture, when God opened my eyes to something so incredible that I couldn’t help but, smile, tear up, and thank Him, endlessly.

God not only showed me that our animals go to heaven but, that they do have souls and those souls go straight back to Him after they’ve passed. Because they belong to Him. Because He created them.

Relieved is an understatement. Like Blair transferring to Columbia from NYU relieved.

He began to show me His heart for every single animal and living creature on the Earth. Every living creature from the smallest insect to those that dwell deep within the ocean. His love and care for Pepper, Kemba, Oakley and the pups that are no longer with us. And His desire for us to care for them (Proverbs 12:10).

I haven’t been able to stop smiling… and it’s been a few weeks now. 

LET ME SHARE:

God not only established an everlasting covenant with human beings but, also with animals (Genesis 9:8–17). 

Our beloved pets and animals not only go to heaven (Genesis 9:9-10) but, God has breathed into them the breath of life (Genesis 1:30). 

We will live in peace with them and they will live in peace with one another (Isaiah 11:6-9). 

All flesh will see the salvation of God (Luke 3:6).

God Himself saves them (Psalm 36:6). 

Each animal has a living soul (Genesis 1:30). 

God takes their soul back after death while their flesh returns to dust (Ecclesiastes 12:7). 

Every animal praises the Lord (Psalm 148:10-13). 

HOW AMAZING IS THIS YA’LL?

I thank the Lord for His revelation and the peace that He’s brought in knowing that our pets will be heaven and that we will get to see them again. Knowing that Pepper and (now) Kemba, are in heaven, and that we will get to see them again.

I now often wonder if the reason why animals are kept from talking lays within their consistent praise. It wouldn’t be difficult to have faith in our Creator when every animal – from a lion to a dog to that little mosquito – is praising the Lord. But, incredibly enough, their own sounds, silence, and being, point to our Creator, in more ways than we can comprehend. From the unconditional love and companionship of a dog to the birds of the air, our Creator and His love for His creation are undeniable. He tells us to ask the animals and learn from them after all (Job 12:7-12).

So love animals deeply, fight for animal cruelty to end, adopt a new pet from your local shelter, and rest assure that we will see them again!

Because all animals go to heaven.

God is not only good, He is wonderful!

XOXO, 

T.S. 

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