Receive Me To Glory
By Niki Behrikis Shanahan
Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
Psalm 73:24 (KJV)
I’d like to share a very special and touching story that I received in 2012 from someone who had just lost their beloved dog, Charlie. I think you will find the story of Monica’s vision very comforting.
“I saw your webpage and took comfort in it. We lost our beautiful gray girl, Charlie, on August 19, 2012. My husband was an over the road truck driver when he found her in 2005. She was found near a dumpster on the Tennessee Arkansas boarder. Dave was letting our black lab, Jake, out to potty near the dumpster at the truck stop. He said he felt something rub up against his leg, and looked down and there she was. He took her into the truck to feed her because she was a little puppy skeleton, and considered putting her back out after because he could have lost his job for having an unauthorized pet on the Semi. After she ate she curled up under a shelf and he didn’t have the heart to put her out. She had little fur and no fat and it was still winter, so he wrapped her in a blanket and she slept on his chest for warmth at night. He bought newspaper at every truck stop, and put it on the passenger side of the floor boards where she pooped green diarrhea for one week while he made his way back to Arizona. I was on my way back from California when Dave called me to tell me that we were not getting a female black lab for company for our male, Jake. He said, ‘Honey, I have a puppy for you, she is so ugly, she’s cute. And, she needs lots of help.’ Dave finally reached home Easter weekend of 2005 and dropped her off before taking his load delivery to its destination. I went to bed and put her on the bed with me. She curled up on my chest and wouldn’t budge. Charlie nestled her head under my neck, and that’s how we slept that first night. From that day forward, she was in my heart.”
“At this point as much as the Lord has brought me comfort, I still cry. Yesterday, I had TBN on and a praise and worship story was on TV. I was getting dressed for the day when I felt the strong presence of the Lord come over me. I heard a gentle voice say, ‘She’s okay and she is with Me.’ And, following that, I saw a white glowing image of Jesus in white robes sitting on the throne, and Charlie sitting at His feet. I thought I was losing my mind. I couldn’t stop crying and told my husband. Dave and I need prayer for the ache in our hearts. She was with us for 7 years. That number I know is no coincidence. I thank you for your time! God Bless, Monica.”
How encouraging that the Lord gave Monica this special message and vision of her Charlie in Heaven with Him. We can be sure that our beloved babies are right up there with Jesus and Charlie in Heaven!
We can’t all have a special message or vision, but we would all like to see ministers speaking out about the fact that animals go to Heaven. Unfortunately, not many of them do. Perhaps that is why the Lord has given me this ministry, because He sees the need to bring this message to people, and to help and comfort each one in their time of need. There are over 60 ministers listed in Who Says Animals Go To Heaven that were not afraid to speak out and tell people that animals go to Heaven. What’s interesting is that some of the famous Bible commentators believed this, and most of the ministers have their Bible commentaries on their bookshelves. I wish they’d read them.
I have shared even more ministers, priests and nuns believing in animal afterlife in the ebook A Future Life For Animals, including a couple of very well known pastors of today that you’ve all heard of. Take heart and do not despair. Your beloved babies are in Heaven with the Lord as soon as they leave this earth.
While we still mourn greatly and live each day wishing they were still with us, it does give us the great hope of our future in Heaven with them. It’s the same great hope that we have that we ourselves will go to Heaven when we leave this place. We can comfort one another with this truth, because there is a better place and a better life for all of us.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15 (NIV)
Copyright 2014 Niki Behrikis Shanahan. All rights reserved. Not to be used without author’s explicit written authorization. To reprint this article, please contact the author at eternalanimals@comcast.net.