September 21
Will Our Dog
Be in Heaven?
"God said, ‘Let the land produce every kind of living creature.
Let there be livestock, and creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals.’
And that’s exactly what happened. God made every kind of wild animal. He made every kind of livestock.
He made every kind of creature that moves along the ground. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:24-25 (NIrV)
The house was too quiet. Too still. Too empty.
Sadie sat on the couch, clutching Milo’s old leash in her hands. It still smelled like him—like the grass he loved to roll in, like the rain-soaked fur that used to shake off all over the kitchen floor. Just yesterday, he had been here, wagging his tail, following them around with his big brown eyes. Now, there was only silence.
She looked over at her son, Toby, who sat cross-legged on the floor, stroking Milo’s favorite chew toy. His face was blotchy from crying. “Mom,” he whispered, his voice trembling, “Is Milo in heaven?”
Sadie’s throat tightened. How was she supposed to answer that? She had barely stopped crying herself. Losing Milo felt like losing a piece of their family. He had been there for everything—Toby’s first steps, the nights when Sadie stayed up late working, the mornings when her husband left for work and Milo curled up next to her on the couch.
She wanted to say yes, that Milo was waiting for them in heaven, running through golden fields, tail wagging like crazy. But was that true? Was that just something people said to make themselves feel better?
Sadie took a deep breath. “I don’t know for sure, sweetheart,” she admitted. “But I do know that God created all the animals, and He called them good. He loves them because He made them.”
Toby sniffled. “Then why did He let Milo die?”
Sadie wiped a tear from her cheek. “I don’t have all the answers,” she said honestly. “But I do know that God’s love is bigger than we can imagine. And if He made Milo, and He made us, then we can trust Him with what happens next.”
That night, after Toby had finally fallen asleep, Sadie sat by Milo’s empty bed and whispered a prayer. “God, I don’t understand why we have to lose the ones we love. But I trust You. Thank You for giving us Milo, even if it wasn’t for long enough. Please take care of him, wherever he is.”
And somehow, as she said those words, the house didn’t feel quite as empty anymore.
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank You for the beautiful animals You created, for the pets that bring us love and joy.
Losing them is so hard, but we trust that You are good and that Your love extends beyond what we can see.
Comfort us when we grieve, and help us trust that You hold all creation in Your hands.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
