Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates:: A Book of Hope for Those Who Have Lost a Pet

COLD NOSES

at the

PEARLY GATES

A Book of Hope for Those Who Have Lost a Pet

GARY KURZ

CITADEL PRESS

Kensington Publishing Corp.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

To my many pet friends who shared not only my home,

but my heart . . .

Tinkerbell, Scooter, Miko, Fuji, Samantha, and Pebbles.

You have all gone on ahead.

I will catch up to you later.

The years may seem to slowly pass

Memories may begin to wane

The time we long for will come at last

When we shall be together again

—Dad

Table of Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Foreword

I

NTRODUCTION

Chapter 1 - F

ACT

, F

AITH

,

AND

F

INDINGS

Chapter 2 - C

REATURE OR

C

REATION

Chapter 3 - C

OMMUNICATING

Chapter 4 - L

IFE

Chapter 5 - T

HE

M

ILLENNIUM

Chapter 6 - E

XAMINING

S

CRIPTURE

Chapter 7 - A

NSWERS

TO

C

OMMONLY

A

SKED

Q

UESTIONS

Chapter 8 - S

OME

F

INAL

T

HOUGHTS

Stories of Humor

Daily Devotional: The Promises of God

Copyright Page

Foreword

For centuries, perhaps millennia, the matter of animals having souls has been a neglected literary topic, and yet it is a subject that has been, and remains, dear to the hearts of an overwhelming majority of people. A few of yesteryear’s theologians have made fleeting reference to the possibilities, both for and against, but none have actually provided a substantial thesis to support their opinions.

Suddenly, in the twenty-first century, there appears to be an avalanche of interest in whether animals have souls, in particular whether there is a providential plan for them beyond earthly existence. There seems to be no shortage of ideas on the subject, as myriad hypotheses are offered for public consumption. From Eastern philosophy to new age idealism, you can find books, magazines, e-zines, and websites that propagate just about any view you can imagine. Unfortunately, these include a substantial number that disallow any possibility that animals are eternal creatures.

Fortunately, when read, the reader quickly discovers these views to be flawed, because they are based on nothing more than opinion. Opinion without authoritative basis usually smacks of bias, and bias does not resonate well with rational, truth-seeking people. These opinions are sometimes amusing diversions, but cannot be taken seriously. At best they are unsupportable, flashin-the-pan ideas destined for obscurity. People who are looking for hope and comfort over the loss of a precious pet are not satisfied by these whimsical views.

Especially egregious are the websites that erroneously use scripture to justify and support the imaginations of the people behind them. Even a cursory review of the scripture used on these websites reveals an absence of appropriate exegesis. Most passages are either taken out of context or assigned biased meanings that fit the philosophy of the writer rather than the intent of scripture.

Lack of credibility aside, however, there is another issue to consider. Why would anyone go to such lengths to publish their beliefs if they knew it would cause others emotional distress? Even if what they believe is true (and it isn’t), what possible good could come from disseminating that information to others?

When I reflect on the reason God left His written Word for us, words like build up and edify, and terms like comfort one another with these words come to mind. An attempt to add more pain to people who are already grieving is almost incomprehensible to me and not at all in keeping with our charge to love thy neighbor as thyself. When Jesus saw the people weeping at the grave of Lazarus, we are told that he too wept. He felt the grief of those mourning and sympathized with them. He had compassion for them.

This, then, is the example people who claim to know him must follow. When they quote the Bible, it should be to lift up and encourage, not tear down and defeat. Jude 22 says, "and of some having compassion, making the difference." The purpose of the Bible is to encourage mankind to reconcile with God and to enrich the individual with the truths it contains.

Without doubt there are times when the message from scripture is blunt and should be expressed as a warning. However, even in these instances, the call of God is "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). It is soothing, not seething.

There is no basis for publishing a negative message on this subject of animal afterlife. There is no reason to purposely and maliciously cause those in pain to suffer more. The reckless and callous flavor of such behavior causes me to suspect that a need to further one’s bias is behind these efforts rather than a desire to educate and edify.

In Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates, indisputable and convincing evidence is offered to prove that God has indeed made eternal provision for all of His creatures. God’s providence and immutability are discussed in detail to show how they work together in relation to God’s creation. Concepts and conclusions are based on reasonable interpretations of the entire text and not based on opinion. On those rare occasions where opinion is offered, it is appropriately identified as such.

I

NTRODUCTION

Who can one turn to when the unexpected suddenly happens and their precious pet is no more? Where can these people go for help? Often, these things happen without warning and so abruptly that there isn’t even time to say good-bye to our wonderful best friends. Even if death is expected, it is still crushing and seems so final. It is as if we are in a bad dream that we cannot awaken from.

There are those learned professionals who stand ready to help us with our trauma and emotions. They are able to assist us to that place of acceptance, and help strengthen our resolve to recover from the blow. But they cannot mend the broken heart or fill the empty void left in our lives by the irreversible loss.

There is a balm for our hearts, however, a way to turn that emptiness into hope . . . a hope of seeing our pets again. As extraordinary as that may sound, I assure you that it is true. I regret that the circumstances that brought you to this book have occurred in your life, but I am confident that you will find a new joy and hope from the literary journey on which you are about to embark.

A source of comfort is available that is higher than that offered by the many psychology books on the market today. There is a level of hope and anticipation that most people know absolutely nothing about and my desire is to make you aware of that hope.

In no way do I mean to lessen the worth of the many books that deal with the psychological and emotional recovery process following the loss of a pet. Quite the contrary. A psychology major myself at one point in my education, I found many of these works to be right on the mark and very helpful.

Indeed, these medical professionals understand the inner workings of our hearts and minds and what it takes to hasten the healing process. Their recovery advice is nothing less than excellent. Time is the great healer, but I believe some of their tips and ideas for rebounding actually speed up the healing process. I would suggest, therefore, that anyone who has suffered loss, pet or otherwise, acquire and use one of these books. It will help frame your feelings in a context that will allow you to understand what you are going through and why.

If I find any shortcomings at all in their writings, it would be that:

Irrespective of the great number of books available, I cannot recommend one more than the other. They are essentially clones of each other, and while all are good, none are better or worse than the other; and

While they are very helpful to the individual dealing with grief, they can only offer limited relief. Their final analysis appears to be get over it and move on, which is not what most pet owners want to hear.

From a secular point of view, this advice of closure makes sense. It is the best natural conclusion that worldly knowledge can offer in regards to loss. This just is not enough for me. I know I have to get on with my life, and I am. But I really don’t want to get over it. I want to feel better. I want to stop hurting. But I certainly do not want to have closure in the sense some of these professionals intend.

Each of my departed pets left a permanent mark on my heart and a little more emptiness in my life. I love (please note the use of the present tense) each of them and I do not want to forget them at any level. I don’t appreciate someone suggesting that I should. Most pet lovers would agree that this is just not an option. We no more want to think that’s it for them, than we want to believe that’s it for ourselves when we pass from this world.

As a student of the Bible and a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, I know better than to trust secular wisdom and understanding. There is higher wisdom, higher understanding, and higher help available. Where these other authors leave off, we will go on. Where natural understanding ends, we will seek the supernatural. We will find spiritual help to soothe both heart and spirit, to find real and lasting comfort to help in this time of need.

No matter what your spiritual beliefs or religious affiliation (or you may not even have or want any), if you are reading this book because you have lost a beloved pet, you are probably dealing with the nagging questions that haunt most of us during these awful times.

When our children ask these questions, we respond quickly with Spot went to doggy heaven.

You want to know if you will ever see your best friend again. You want to know if there is more to life than just this earthly existence. You want to know if there really is a God and if He cares. You want to know, but you are afraid or ashamed to ask, because until now no one was willing or able to answer you.

When our children ask these questions, we respond quickly with Spot went to doggy heaven, but we know that we have no proof. We have no basis for what we tell our children except we know that is what they need to hear. Inside we wish we had a more convincing answer for them. Indeed, we wish we had an answer for ourselves because our own breaking hearts yearn for consolation.

It is at that point in our grieving that the psychologist can no longer help and must take flight. It is here that their wise counsel and books can no longer guide. It is here that someone with genuine knowledge of the spiritual must rise to assist. It is for this reason and this reason alone that this book was prepared.

If you are anything like me, you do not want closure. You want comfort and hope and answers you can depend upon. You want to know with certainty what has become of your best friend. I know of only one place to find supernatural comfort and hope that is dependable . . . the blessed Word of God.

That is exactly where this writer went to find true peace in my hour of need. My need was met, abundantly and totally, as God opened up my understanding of things I had not seen in his word before.

I think it is expedient for you to understand that I did not enter into this research as a novice. In fact, I have been a student of the Bible for more than thirty years with many years of accredited Bible courses and more than 22,000 hours of personal study in the sixty-six books that comprise the Old and New Testaments. Moreover, I have taught adult Sunday school and Bible studies for more than twenty-five years. It is important to my credibility that you know that I am very well acquainted with acceptable Bible research principles and appropriate exegesis of text.

Despite my education and experience, I feel I need to offer a disclaimer. It seems that no matter how many years one may study, no matter how familiar one may become with the Bible, there is always something new and great to learn from this blessed book. Periodically, circumstances too complex or overwhelming for us to handle come into our lives that remind us just how small we are and how little we know. It is then that we discover the very deep things of God in His word.

I may have read over a passage a hundred times before, but never saw the gem of knowledge it contained on another subject. Often I find that providential guidance does not come until the time I actually need it. It is as if someone was watching and knew. We will not visit in this study the question of whether that is by coincidence or design, but if you have been there, you could never subscribe to the former.

Such was the case with my studies for this work. I had a desperate need for comfort, and when I sought help and consolation from God’s wonderful book, despite the fact that I had read the applicable verses so many times, a whole new understanding about animals was opened to me. Previous to my need, I had neither noticed nor considered what scripture had to say about animals. It simply never occurred to me to consider what became of them when they passed.

Our children are grown and on their own and our pets have become like children to us.

Motivated by need, I thoroughly researched the subject and now have full assurance of what the Bible teaches about animals. I now know that God has made provision for our pets and that we shall see them again. I may not get to feel their cold noses at the pearly gates as the title suggests, but there is no doubt in my mind that they will be there and that a grand reunion is only delayed by the passing of time.

When one of my closest pets passed unexpectedly, it hit my wife and me extremely hard. Our children are grown and on their own and our pets have become like children to us. To lose one to age is upsetting enough. As hard as that is to accept, you are somewhat readied for the eventuality because you know that age eventually takes us all.

To lose one prematurely, however, as was the case with our Chihuahua, Pebbles, is absolutely devastating. What’s more, to live with the knowledge that it didn’t have to happen at all is almost completely insurmountable.

Pebbles was a beautiful dog with tan and fawn colors. We had not been able to have her spayed as a puppy, but after testing Pebbles, the veterinarian ascertained that she could be spayed successfully at age seven with virtually no risk to her health.

I was very apprehensive about the procedure because of her age and weight (she was not obese, but very well padded at thirteen pounds—we had given her the nickname of Gargan-chihuahua). But the doctor assured us that it was a simple procedure and she was medically able to endure it.

His attempt to comfort us by saying The operation went perfectly, she should have been okay did little to alleviate the crushing pain we felt when he phoned with the unexpected bad news that she had passed. His comments a few minutes later when we arrived on the scene that this had never happened before also was little comfort.

Needless to say, my wife and I have punished ourselves over and over again for opting for the surgery. Pebbles really did not need to have it, but to eliminate the possibility of other health problems it seemed the safest thing to do. The surgery was more of a safeguard for her than a convenience for us. How we wish we had the opportunity to rethink that decision. How I wish I had listened to the little voice of apprehension inside.

You do not have to go through something like this (and I hope you never do) to understand what we were going through. A terrible void of loss and guilt prevailed in our home for the next several months. For weeks all my wife and I could do was drag ourselves to work, make it through the day, and then come home and just lay in bed weeping and comforting each other.

I wrote a lot of poetry and sulky prayers. The words just seemed to pour out of my heart. I think it is human nature to do such things when our hearts are broken. Somehow, writing something down helps to make us feel better. At one point I even thought to write a book on what it was like to endure a broken heart, but it was too hurtful to do so. It pleases me to author a more optimistic and uplifting book like this instead.

I wish I could accept full credit for coming up with the idea to research this subject. It would be quite an ego booster to know I was that spontaneous and creative. Unfortunately, my need, not my creativity, deserves the spotlight. The truth is, some credit belongs to someone else altogether. Oddly, the catalyst for motivating me was the lack of compassion of someone I counted as a friend.

One evening at church, shortly after losing Pebbles, she asked, Why are you looking so glum, Gary? I recounted the tragedy for her with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. Without so much as a sympathetic twinkle in her eye, she coldly, almost laughingly, responded with, Oh and I suppose you think that she went to doggy heaven, don’t you? The implication was clear. She did not think so.

That curt, unfeeling reply cut deep. I hadn’t expected it. It was like stepping into the path of an oncoming car that I didn’t see coming. Her rudeness only served to deepen my sorrow and make me feel even more alone and helpless than I already felt. I don’t know how I mustered the wherewithal to not strike back at her verbally, but somehow I did. I even managed a sickening chuckle to brush the conversation away, as most of us do in uncomfortable situations.

I confess that I was tempted to lash back at her for her insensitivity. I just did not feel like hurting her back and I was in no mood for conflict. Besides, there was an up side to this awful encounter. She unintentionally had made me face the question that I was hiding in my heart, the question I had been afraid to face. The same question many of you are hiding.

Now, there it was. It was out in the open. It had been uttered out loud. Where indeed did I think my precious Pebbles was? What was my position on this? Many people hold me as their mentor in the Bible . . . and I simply did not have an answer. I just didn’t know. But I felt more than inept and insecure, I felt challenged. I wanted to know. And I was going to find out.

And find out I did! The Bible is full of guidance on this topic. And since I feel so certain that others want to know, too, I decided to record my research and pass it along. You will have to weigh my thoughts according to your own faith and convictions, but I hope you find the comfort and hope that I found.

Chapter 1

F

ACT

, F

AITH

,

AND

F

INDINGS

There is so much knowledge available in this world today. Students without access to a computer during the school day are quickly becoming the exceptions. They now have the world at their fingertips, and while they may not possess any more common sense than other generations did at their age, they certainly have absorbed more information and mastered the tools of our technological world.

I am told that computers, or at least certain computer groups, hold an estimated twenty to thirty pages of data on every person in the civilized world. Network news sources have estimated that the World Wide Web grows by more than 170,000 web pages every day, or over a million each week. That is amazing. At that rate, if a thousand people read one web page every ten minutes, non-stop, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, for the rest of their lives, they would lose ground and never catch up. Whew!

Technology is racing ahead of us at a blinding clip. Super computers now process billions of transactions in mere seconds. It boggles one’s imagination. I admit it is becoming too much for me. As I sit in front of my multifunctional, multicolored, multimedia, voice-command computer, I am in complete awe of technology. I get headaches wondering how the programs on the tiny chips actually work. I wonder how anyone acquires the knowledge that enables them to put a computer together.

I also wonder what the future holds. My generation mockingly laughed at the 1960s Zager and Evans song In the Year 2525, when it suggested that machines would be doing everything for us and that our arms and legs would hang at our side with nothing to do. Of course, there were no PCs back then, so it was just a song. Now, I wonder. I can open programs on my PC with voice commands without touching a key. Someday soon we will be able to operate everything we do on the machine simply by talking to it. And to think that thirty years ago the calculator was the discovery of