Cat Heaven

An innocent conversation in the back of the car had piqued my curiosity. My littlest girl was telling her older sister that our cat, Oreo, would go to heaven if he got hit by a car. She began to describe cat heaven as a place where cats would live in luxury and run about in freedom. The older, more "knowledgeable" sister started to put her straight in a hurry though.


"What makes you so sure he (the cat, that is) knows Jesus? When have you seen him reading His Bible? Have you ever seen his paws clasped in prayer?" she questioned with a bit of a giggle.


The pride in this mother's breast began to swell at her excellent knowledge of the gospel until I realized one small flaw. Yes, my daughter rightly understood that not everyone will go to heaven carte blanche because heaven is reserved for those who belong to the family of God. Yes, she was correct in assuming that only those who know Jesus as personal savior belong in that family. She even recognized that faith can be seen in the fruit of our actions and a relationship with Jesus is lived out in daily decisions.


So, where did she go wrong? Well, before I had a chance to say anything, she caught herself. From my seat up front, I peered into the rear view mirror to see her expression as I heard the conversation developing. She knotted her eyebrows together and then smiled in triumph as she repeated a well learned truth: "Everything in all of creation praises His name. Right Mom?"


Right, dear. So, the decision about the cat's eternal destiny was settled. I realized after the fact that we are often just like my sweet daughter. We know the truth and we know the way to heaven so we can be quick to point out when someone doesn't appear to belong to Christ. We sometimes think we can look around the room and point out those who will be in heaven one day, based upon their pious actions. But, the truth is, we don't know the heart of the person.


Only God knows our hearts and only He has the authority to judge. He will the One deciding the eternal fate of each individual on judgement day. And I, for one, am glad that He has that responsibility instead of me. I'd rather be the one telling people how great heaven is and how marvelous it is to know the Creator of that wonderful place.

Romans 14:4 "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he
stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand."

*Are you praying for someone to come to know Jesus? Keep praying!

*Are you unsure of where you'll be after you die? Check out this great site for some answers.

Can't wait to see you all there someday!