Hope For What is to Come

As many of you know, I lost a great friend just recently. He was covered in soft black and white fur, used the furniture as his personal scratching post, begged for table scraps, purred loudly, and kept my feet warm each night. Okay, he was a cat :p But not just any cat..He was a wonderful, lovable cat that I considered a big part of my life. I raised him from a tiny 6 week old ball of fluff that just wanted to eat and sleep snuggled up in my jacket. I'd sneak him into class with me in my purse and he was perfectly content to sleep in there the whole hour and wouldn't make a peep. He LOVED going for car rides and would look out the window as I drove. Whenever I was sad, he would sit on my lap and give me kisses. He'd be waiting at the top of the stairs when I got home each day, and he'd sleep on my bed each night. I loved him with all my heart. Some people can't understand the bond that some people develop with animals, but what we had was special. Although it is very sad that Marleau had to tragically die, I believe that he is in Heaven frolicking among the flowers and chasing butterflies, all the while being watched by Jesus. I think that animals go to Heaven because they bring us so much joy here on earth. It says in the Bible that in Heaven, "...the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all." Isaiah 11:6 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." Rev. 21:4. I am grieving for my little friend, but within that grief, there is hope that I will see him again someday. Loss is always difficult, but if you share that hope of eternal life with the person you have lost, you can be sure that you will see them again.