In March Jethro, our golden retriever, was diagnosed with canine Aspergillosis, a fungal infection of the nasal cavity. The only potential treatment plan was thousands of dollars beyond our financial means.
We
tried to treat him with homeopathic remedies we found on the internet, but we didn't see any improvement. His nasal discharge got worse, and eventually he
became weak. Last night when we came home the infection had evidently eaten
through a blood vessel. Blood was everywhere. He was huddled underneath the
table, frightened and dripping blood. And so we took him to the animal
hospital, told him he was a good dog and that we loved him, and then said
goodbye.
Jethro
was not the smartest dog or the bravest, but he was sweet and affectionate and
he was ours. We always called him “our little dog,” even though he weighed 70
pounds. He had a gentle soul and we took care of him and loved him the best we
knew how.
Dionne
and I had a similar reaction to his death. (In addition to crying, I
mean.) We both thought about the inevitable bridges left to cross that involve one
another and the other people we love, and not just dogs.
Of
course we love our dogs, and they are an extended part of our family. But there
is a fundamental difference between them and our human loved ones. God made
dogs for us, but He made us for Himself. Our Master cared so much for us
that He died in our place to insure that we would always be together. Jesus
Himself became the Bridge that Dionne and I and our dear ones will one day
cross “and thus we will always be with the Lord,” as Paul put in 1
Thessalonians 4:17.
The
Bible doesn't say much about what happens to our dogs (or other beloved
animals) after they die. (I wrote about what I hope will happen in Do Dogs Go to Heaven?)
But
the Bible is abundantly clear about what happens when believers in Christ die.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die…” (John
11:25, 26). He said, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so,
would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that
where I am you may be also.”
