The Lion and the Mailman

“Do you like my new security front screen?” I asked the mailman who often had to step onto our front porch to deliver a package that was too big to put in the mailbox.

“Oh, I love it,” he beamed. “Thanks for replacing the old screen. Before, I always worried that the lion would rip right through the old screen and attack me.”

“The lion?” I paused wondering what he was talking about.

“Yeah, you know, your dog.”

Another bewildered pause. “What? Uh, do you mean our tiny 17-pound chihuahua?”

“Of course!” Now he was smiling, secure and safe behind our new screen.

Wait a minute, I thought as he waved goodbye. Why in the world is this little stray, this little furball, who we rescued from an abusive owner, eager and willing to protect our home regardless of what could happen to him and love us unconditionally? Even ready to take on any Rottweiler or Pitbull who might be walking by with his owner if needed. And woe be to anyone, any repairman, any stranger who gets too close to me without my permission. But why? Where does this unconditional love come from?

To my amazement and amusement, these big fellows give our lion a shy, side glance. Intimidated, they each duck their heads and hurry quickly on. And by the way, who is the only fur baby who not only returns bark for bark, growl for growl to the lion, but turns and faces the screen ready for the challenge as if to say, “How dare you?” It is unbelievably a five-pound Pomeranian!

Who are these special creatures, these dogs, that God created who give us unconditional love??

We humans fall short of that. We prefer people who are like us, who speak well, smell well, and can give back to us. We love conditionally. A dog doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, fat or thin, attractive or ugly. But with our lion, he has all the more reason to care only about himself, to protect himself, because the previous owner, who we contacted through a chip found in the lion’s ear, told me, “Oh, no. I don’t want him. I’ve already replaced him.” After meeting his neighbors, I learned that our lion had been abused and left to starve out in the cold night for weeks even knowing that there were coyotes roaming in the area. How can anyone do that? One day after we brought this shivering, starving puppy home, as I got out the broom to sweep the kitchen floor, our terrified, shaking fur baby cringed and hid under the kitchen table. No wonder he was afraid of men!

Great philosophers, of which I am not one, might speculate that our little stray, our lion, somehow remembers the awful early days when he was dumped and is showing his deep appreciation by wanting to protect us. We lavish him with cuddles, belly rubs and toys. In return, he is tender with us and sleeps inches from us on our beds.

Every day he wakes up joyfully with a wagging tail. Grateful no matter what. Happy to be alive. I want to be more like that and to be more grateful.

We all know when we get a pet that we will outlive them even if it’s a puppy. Why are their lives so short? I believe that’s because our fur babies are born immediately with unconditional love, and God does not need them to be here as long as us humans. It takes most of us a lifetime, if ever, to learn how to love unconditionally, to learn even a small amount of loyalty and faithfulness. But the heartbreak occurs because we don’t realize, in the beginning, how deeply attached we will become to them.

We have our reasons to be careful about who and how we love. We have our boundaries based on our life experiences. If we have not been treated well, naturally we form an emotional barrier for protection. Each person has to meet our qualifications of what we will accept. Even, unfortunately, our children learn that our love is conditional in some ways.

So how can I explain our lion who loves freely, tail wagging, eager to please, eager to give us kisses for no apparent reason? I searched the Bible for answers.

Let’s go back to the beginning to see what scripture has to say about animals. Clearly, they are important to God because according to Genesis 1:25 when God made all of creation and paradise, the animals were created before mankind…and “it was good.” Then, when He created mankind and gave us dominion over every living thing, we see that they are not only a gift from God, but that we are responsible for treating them well. According to Proverbs 12:10, “A righteous man regards the life of his animal.

Now, Genesis tells us that Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, but the animals didn’t! Christ came to redeem the sins of mankind, but the animals did not know sin. Do they have a soul? Why wouldn’t they? If they have never sinned and are God’s creation, surely, He is providing for them.

God showed His love for animals again, not only in creation, but in the great flood (of which there is archeological evidence and mention in every culture). He called every animal into the ark for safety. Noah’s son did not have to go out and gather them, they came two by two on their own! (Genesis 6:14, Matthew 24:38)

What about God’s plan for eternity? Revelation 21:1 describes Heaven as the new heaven and the new earth where we will be restored, “Behold, I make all things new.” Clearly that includes all of creation, including the animals…and our pets!

Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 “For what happens to the children of man and what happens to the beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over beasts, for all is vanity. ALL GO TO ONE PLACE: ALL ARE FROM THE DUST, AND ALL RETURN TO DUST.”

More evidence that there are animals in Heaven is found in Revelation 19:11. “The heavens opened and behold there was a white horse.” Isaiah 11:6-9 states that, “the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” Surely, if all kinds of animals, His creation, are there, why not our beloved dogs?

I am grateful to God that He has sent precious dogs to be with me throughout my lifetime, not just in the happy days, but those difficult moments when I have felt so alone. I pray that I can learn to share unconditional love, to be a comforter, as it has been given so freely to me. They do this by not even talking! They don’t need to. It brings me great joy to know that He is providing for every one of my departed pets and that I can look forward to finding them waiting for me at  the gates of heaven someday.