Prevailing Winds "For the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom . . ." 2 Cor. 3:17, TNIV

I just came in from 20 minutes of throwing a punctured, slobbery football to my beloved dog, Georgia, a 2-year-old chocolate lab/pointer mix we rescued from indifferent owners who kept her outside with a bag of kibble and offered her to us because she tore up their yard. Best. Deal. Ever. Potentially even Best. Dog. Ever. She’s beautiful, affectionate, smart, and I love her dearly.

Some of you might remember my joy in acquiring Perry, my 1-year-old poodle/Chihuahua mix, who’s nuzzling up next to me as I write this. Yes, he’s yappy. Yes, he’s underfoot constantly. And yes, he’s absolutely precious to me, wonderful company on those days when pain and fatigue keep me at home.

There’s just something about the dogs in our lives that demonstrates to me that while all animals are beautiful, all creations from the Artist who infuses our world with unexpected beauty and companionship, God did a little something different when he created dogs. How does an animal seem to “get” how we’re doing? How does a dog anticipate and share the joy of slobbery footballs with her owner? How is it that of all the animals, it was the dog who evolved to become part of our families, not just working, herding, and guarding, but adapting to the rhythms of domestic life so eagerly and so wonderfully.

While I think that animals don’t have souls, I do believe that Heaven will hold our pets. If Heaven is Eden restored, and if Eden was wonderfully enlivened by the animals, it would seem that animals will be part of our Heavenly experience, and that we’ll know them. After all, does it make sense that our extravagantly loving God would populate the New Jerusalem with animals — but only, purposely, with those animals not known and loved here on Earth?

I don’t think so.

All animals are a gift to humankind — some for us to use, some for us simply to love. And if a sparrow doesn’t fall to the ground without God knowing, or a squirrel doesn’t fry in a transformer without the Lord of the Universe aware of it, then I’m pretty sure this same Master will graciously reunite our pets with us some day. Brush it off as sappy sentimentalism, but don’t make the mistake of limiting the extraordinary generosity and reach of the Creator.