In his hand is the life of every creature
Reflections on grief and hope after the passing of a beloved pet
Image generated by ChatGPT (OpenAI) using the DALL·E model. Note: this looks just like Pippin
This has been a very difficult devotional for me to write. My last one reminded us that:
“When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.”
The core of that devotional was to be found in the prayer, where I asked God “when adversity enters my life as I know it will, remind me to recognize that it is as much of a part of Your divine plan as joy is.” That adversity has entered our lives as we had to say goodbye to another companion animal, our cat Pippin, yesterday.
It’s difficult to find solace when a family member, friend, or pet permanently leaves our lives. We can’t help but feel grief from the loss. In this hour of grief I chose to look for comfort from God’s Word, and I found it.
Our companion animals reflect God’s care for His creation, and reveal His artistry and wonder. Job said in Job 12:7-10:
““But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.”
The Lord created all of us, and He numbers our days. We are meant to usually live longer than our pets, and that is part of His plan. Being able to process the grief associated with the loss of a childhood pet was the way many of us learned that death is a sad, but normal part of human life.
For mankind to care for animals was part of God’s plan in the beginning. He gave us dominion over all creatures, and this verse from Genesis emphatically states our responsibility to care for and protect animals, to reflect His care for all creatures through the way we treat them with compassion and respect.
“Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.””
Genesis 1:26 NIV
In part of Psalm 36:6, we read of God’s deep love for not only humans, but animals as well. Animals are an important part of God’s care and preservation of His creation:
“You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.”
Love is at the heart of God’s relationship with His creation, and grief is an offshoot of love — without love, there can be no grief when the love is ended in this mortal world. The Lord wants us to share our sorrow with Him, even when that sorrow is for the loss of a pet.
Grief lasts a long time. Both Barb and I still grieve for our parents, and we were just coming to grips with the loss of our little girl cat last year. Jesus provides us with the strength to know that mourning isn’t weakness; He tells us that it is sacred, it is expected, and that He will be there to comfort us.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
Grief will not be forever for believers. We may weep after the passing of a beloved pet, shed tears at the thought of a friend or relative who is no longer with us. But we are assured that one day, all of our sorrow will be overwhelmed by joy as all of His creation is reborn in the new heaven and new earth, in God’s eternal presence.
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.””
Pippin is the fifth cat that Barb and I have had to say goodbye to, and since we came back to faith we’ve wondered if we will see our feline friends again. The Bible doesn’t come right out and tell us the answer, but it is written in Scripture that animals will be in God’s redeemed creation.
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”
Romans 8:19-21 NIV
In the future defined by Scripture, we can have faith in a future in which God’s creation is restored, and where peace — not pain or sickness — defines every relationship.
The past few days we held out hope that our cat would somehow be restored to health, even if just for a short while. We cannot know for certain now, but there is hope that animals will be with us in eternity. God created them for our joy here, and He is a kind and loving God who could certainly welcome them into His new heaven and earth.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, Barb and I thank You for the life of Pippin, a loving cat who gave us comfort, joy, and love for twelve wonderful years. Hold him in peace, and comfort us — and all others who are grieving for relatives, friends, and pets who have recently passed — as we grieve. AMEN.