Every Creature

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb, be praise and honor and glory and power, forever and ever!" Revelation 5:13

Last week our 16+ year old cat, BW, died. He had been a member of our family for nearly 15 years and had brought much joy and laughter to our lives. He was a beautiful black-and-white cat who had come as a 'free gift with purchase' when we bought our house in 1994, so we don't know his actual age. When we left Spartanburg, SC, in 2003 to go to our first assignment as missionaries in War, WV, he became an inside cat and was a constant companion to us in a strange place and a strange new lifestyle. He was the first thing we saw every morning -- sometimes from 2 inches away!

A friend emailed the verse above to confirm to us that animals indeed would be in Heaven. Throughout the last week, as we've grieved the loss of our beloved pet, God has used other friends to comfort us and remind us that God created animals first and He knows when even a sparrow falls. Certainly, a 12 pound cat does not go unnoticed by our Father.

Just this morning in church I looked up at one of the banners hanging on the wall of the sanctuary. "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord." It didn't say "everyone." It reminded me of Genesis 1:30 that refers to animals as having "the breath of life." Then the words of the Doxology rang out "Praise Him all creatures here below."

I sat quietly thanking God for being the Comforter that He is. When I get to heaven and am reunited with my Grandmother and other relatives and friends, I believe that among the "creatures" there, I will see those, like BW, who shared my life here on earth.