I’m sure there are many people who have never wondered such a thing, but for those of us who have pets that we love and have possibly lost, it’s something we consider. Our pets are not just animals to us, they become family. We love them, take care of them, feed them, take them to the vet when they’re sick. We play with them and show them affection because they are important to us. They’re also such a blessing…we get great enjoyment and even comfort from our four-legged friends.

About 10-11 years ago, a little mutt puppy showed up on my parents porch. My Momma said when he looked up at her with that sweet, precious face, her heart melted and she knew that little puppy had found a home. Over the years, our family loved and regarded Peter Snotz, (we called him Snotz), as a member of the family. He grew into a pretty big dog, over 100lbs, and had such a ferocious bark that seemed to intimidate the mailperson, UPS and FedEx because there were many times they just sorta threw the packages at the porch, lol. But those of who knew him, knew that he was nothing but a big baby. He loved people. At family gatherings, he wanted to be in the middle of the crowd. When pictures were made outside, he expected to be front and center. He loved to eat, any and everything, he was not picky. He loved to roll in the dirt and for some reason we never quite figured out, he loved to lay in the middle of the driveway with his legs sticking straight up in the air. This never ceased to make me smile. He also loved to go on runs with me. It was on one of those runs last week that he was hit by a car and, tragically, didn’t make it. This has been a sad week for our family and as silly as it may seem to some, we are grieving. You don’t realize the things you miss until they’re gone. For instance, without even knowing, we just expect to hear him lay down right in front of the door, clicking it into place. We never noticed how we listen for his bark, until we realize, again, that it’s not there. How we never really considered what a great disposal of scraps he was until you turn to throw out that little piece of toast left over and remember he’s not there to hear it hit his bowl. So as is normal in the grief process, I began to wonder, “What’s next?”

Over the last several months, our pastor, Brother Sammy, taught a discipleship series on Heaven. He went over a variety of topics and questions, many of which I had never thought of. One of those topics was our pets. I just want to share a few scripture verses that, to me, affirm that our pets may very well be joining us in Heaven.

In Isaiah 11:6-8 (NLT), it lists several animals and living creatures that will be included on that day when our Savior comes back to rule in the New Heaven and New Earth. The wolf and lamb, the leopard and baby goat, the calf, yearling and the lion, the cow, bear and the cobra are all specifically mentioned. In Luke 12:6, it says God will not forget even a single sparrow. It stands to reason in my mind, that if God sees that it’s good for these animals to be there, then surely our pets will be there as well.

The Bible says that our Heavenly Father loves to give us good gifts. It’s easy to take notice of the big gifts or blessings that we receive from God. Healing from sickness, protection in an accident, provision through a new job and the greatest gift of all, salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. But sometimes, we tend to overlook the small gifts. A beautiful sunrise that is clearly God’s way of saying “Good morning,” at the beginning of each day, the new blooms on flowers and trees in the Spring, signifying that a new season of life has begun, that sweet, indescribable smell of a newborn baby and, yes, I believe our pets are also a gift from God. And He delights in seeing us enjoy each and every gift He chooses to give us. David Platt explained it this way in one of his sermons (and I’m paraphrasing). As parents, we love to give our children gifts and we love it even more when we get to see the pleasure and enjoyment they have as they play with and use those gifts. It is the same with our Heavenly Father. When we smile in pleasure over something He has given us, it makes His heart smile. So I think every time I laughed a little at Snotz doing crazy ‘Snotz stuff’, my God smiled too because He saw that I was enjoying His gift.

So I want to take time right now to thank God for the gift that was given to our family. I want to thank Him for the pleasure and enjoyment I received because of that precious dog. I am not a Bible scholar or theologian, I’m not claiming to know for a fact that our pets are waiting on us in Heaven. What I am claiming is the comfort my Heavenly Father has given me through His Word. I believe that Snotz has found a front porch to lay on in Heaven. I believe that when I reach my Heavenly home, he will run up to meet me with that excited and expectant look on his face and we will take a few laps around the streets of gold. We love you, Peter Snotz. We miss you and can’t wait to see you.

“But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.” Romans 8:20-21