Biblical Proof Animals Do Go to Heaven
By: Steven H. Woodward / Narrated By: John Edmondson
Length: 2 hrs and 31 mins
A really, really nice little book about one man’s love and devotion
Just so you know, I was raised Catholic, so the Bible was kinda an important book as I was growing up (but pleeeeeease do NOT paint me with the scarlet brush that goes with Catholicism in these fraught days of the Church!!!). As such, it was nice to listen to the first part of Biblical Proof Animals Do Go to Heaven. Steven Woodward goes to great lengths to study his Bible and pull from it some really captivating quotes. Only one quote from Revelations flat out talks of “all creatures” going to heaven, but all quotes speak of God’s love for his animals. (If you have a problem with God, I of all people, will not judge you. Insert Spirit, or the Universe, or whatever. Love, maybe?). He makes the wonderful argument that aaaaalllll those quotes that say God loves his animals so much, imagine how much greater his love for humans is, etc etc etc, actually shows just how MUCH he loves his animals, period. It’s fantastic because the Bible CLEARLY states it! There are even stories from the Bible that show how ticked off he gets when we feel we can mistreat or abuse his creatures. Love it!
But that’s only a small part of what the book is about. Mostly, it’s a truly lovely book about Woodward’s love and devotion to his one dog, BJ, and his overwhelming desire to “see” him again, to know he’s all right now that the dog has passed on. BJ came to Woodward and his wife as a horribly abused and neglected dog who never quite got over his fear of people. The dog was timid. The dog was afraid. And the dog bit! Like crazy! Still, Woodward worked hard, had faith, showed complete love and acceptance no matter what BJ did, and the two grew to have a most marvelous bond. Tears in my eyes when BJ declined and died? Who me?!? (Uhm, yeah…)
There are no Biblical quotes to soothe the man’s soul after his death. Instead there’s anger at Christ, fear, longing, frustration. And exquisite pain. And finally? There are visions that Woodward has that show all his past dogs romping and frolicking with Jesus, very much loved and quite healthy. And that has to be enough. What I like about the book is that it’s a story of acceptance of pain and grief turned into complete gratitude for the time that was given to us with our beloved animals, no matter how short a time it was. That our companions are just on loan to us from a loving God.
Then too, John Edmondson’s narration is so enthusiastic, so heartfelt, it’s hard NOT to get caught up in what he’s saying. Pain? Check. Frustration? Check. Remorse? Double check. And joy when all is said and done? Oh my, a thousand times: YES! So huzzah to Edmondson for a job well done.
Y’all know I recently lost my precious Wootie, so I’ve been dipping into books on grief, the afterlife, animals. Soooo many, many books that some of them have blurred into each other.
This one, however? This one gave me comfort. Actual comfort. And of course it made me so very grateful that God lent me my Woo for almost eighteen years!
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