Jiggy and Jonah
Three weeks ago, we lost our “grandpuppy,” an adorable, “rescued” Pomeranian. Our broken-hearted daughter had to have Jiggy euthanized because of a painful, incurable condition. After some tears, I lay awake that night, mulling over nature’s food chain and all the sad succession of death in animals. I finally told the Lord I’d trust Him without the answers to my questions and went to sleep.
The next morning I had my Quiet Time as usual. I’d been reading in Colossians, but happened to open to the fourth chapter of Jonah. Jonah was uptight with God (as admittedly I was) and complained about a vine that God had provided and then removed. The Lord pointed out that Jonah was upset about a vine he had not created. So, the Lord asked, shouldn’t He care about the vast number of people in Nineveh He had created? (That’s why He’d sent Jonah to them with a life-saving message.)
The application to my life was obvious. Jiggy’s death was a sorrowful event (far more than a vine’s), and not to be discounted for a minute. But I mustn’t forget that Christians have the life-saving message for people, who also face death. God—through Jesus—reached down to rescue mankind and give us a never-ending relationship with Himself. Our loving Heavenly Father sees and cares about all that happens to us. He answers prayers to provide for our needs. He has a new heaven and a new earth (with lions and wolves living peacefully with lambs) in store for everyone who accepts His saving gift. I needed to be reminded of the Big Picture.
(And if it’s possible and acceptable when the time comes, I’ll ask our Heavenly Father, who isn’t limited by our time dimension, to transport a healed Jiggy—and some other beloved pets—to that splendid new earth. Just a thought. Any comments?)