Death of a friendPosted by Debbie on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 10:51 amAnimals have always played a big part in my life. My first experience with death was that of a baby rabbit when I was a child. It's mother had pushed it out of the hutch, it being a runt. My uncle, who was raising the rabbits,was going to put it down, but I wanted to try to save it. I fed it from and eye dropper and kept it warm. While it's brothers and sisters grew, it remained tiny and it's eyes never opened. After about a week, it developed a respiratory infection and, as I watched it struggle for air and prayed that it would live, it breathed its last. I had never know any one or anything that had died at that point. I was surprised at just how much it hurt inside to lose something I loved. It wasn't like losing a toy that could be replaced. This made me begin to think about what life is and how very precious it is. I thought about how God breathed life into Adam and Eve and how every life on Earth is a gift from God. My next experience with death was when my beloved grandfather died at the young age of 56. I was 9 years old and I thought my heart would never be repaired. At 9 you think this life will never end, and the thought of living in this world without my Granddaddy in it was too terrible to even contemplate. Since then I have come to know that this life is not all there is to our existence. I know that we live forever. Not in this body, but our true selves live on. When you realize that this life is a mere moment of our existence, it is easier to accept things like illness, tragedy and death. God uses these things to mold us into what He wants us to ultimately be. I understand that now. However, the loss of a loved one from this life still leaves that feeling of emptiness.
So, what is the point of all this? Not to sound trite, it is to appreciate every moment we have with those we love and to be grateful to God for putting them in our lives in the first place. Do I believe I will see Petunia on the otherside? Well, all I can do is look to God's Word for insight. Animals are given souls but not the spirit that God gave men. However, I couldn't imagine spending eternity without the company of animals and I'd like to think that God will let us be reunited with those animals that meant so much to us during this life. No comments posted yet. Add a comment |
I just lost a very big part of my life, my blue-fronted Amazon parrot, Petunia. Since they have a life span equal to humans and she was only 32, I figured I would have many years with her. Now that she is gone, there is a big hole in my life. I realize how many times a day I thought of her and interacted with her. Her death was quick and unexpected.