These paintings by artist Jim Warren gripped my heart today.
http://jimwarren.com/fine-art/
About a year ago we lost a dear family member, a beautiful little Himalayan cat we had rescued a few years earlier. She had been used as a breeder cat, and when she grew beyond her usefulness, was turned over to an animal shelter. When we saw her she was gaunt and weak. She went over to my little son and sought comfort in his arms.
She was unlikely to be adopted, and was soon to be put down. We adopted her. And in our home, the our veterinarian’s surprise, her health and beauty returned.
About a year and a half ago (I think) she suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night. We rushed her to the local emergency room at the animal hospital. The news was terrible, she would possibly exist in misery, with bowel control and the use of her hind legs gone, but would more likely die within hours.
We decided to euthanize her. I was destroyed and couldn’t face it. But my son wanted to hold her to comfort her to the last, so she would not die away from her family.
We stayed, and told her we love her very much and stroked her fur gently as the lights faded from her beautiful sapphire blue eyes. We drove home around 4:00 AM, broken and weeping.
And the question of her destination confronted us. Will we see her in Heaven? When Billy Graham was asked by a broken hearted little girl if he thought she would be reunited with her beloved pet in Heaven, he answered, “I believe He will do that out of His love for you.”
I cling to that answer, and every other bit of hope I can find on that subject.
TD