Dear SeaPraiser2,Thank you very much for your post, I am terribly sorry to hear about your brother, and Chikka was just an animal, your brother was a human being, there is huge difference and yes the pain is great when one looses their brother or sister.
Allow me to share, Chikka died on the same day 29, April, 2005, exactly on April 29, 1999, My best friend who was like a younger brother for 7 years, was brutally beaten to death by a gang in the nation I come from. He was small and weak; he was very quiet in someway if you had ever watched the Flintstones, he kind of looked bit like barney always following fred around. That’s how it was. His parents were rough on him coz he wasn’t so good in maths, and they pressured him to become an engineer as a career option, but he loved arts based subjects. April 29, just isn’t my day.
I preached to him Christ a lot, and I took care of him a lot, we had planned to start up our own business, when we were older, together but one day he came across some gang members who started picking on his sister, he did what any normal guy would do, the worse thing he did was to go punch the gang member on the face, (which was a bad idea) given the fact he was too small and outnumbered, they beat him to death , and he died on April 29, 1999, His mother always asked me why I didn’t save him, I was not there, or else I would have certainly pulled him off trouble. The pain that seared was terrifying.
I can humbly hope that in someway I can understand that pain of loss of a brother with you. Chikka represented some peace and innocence in this world, The “Asian” country I come from is wrecked with bombings, killings and massacres, and gang violence. By some grace of God I left that place; saw many parts of the world before coming down here.
I believe God is returning back soon, I always felt it powerfully, even many dreams I am getting always keep saying Jesus is returning soon, I don’t know how to explain but just that I have accepted it as a fact,
To begin with, the last 2 years, I have been getting the SAME DREAM every month atleast 8 or 9 times, it is about an annual exam, and I need to prepare for it, the annual exam keeps drawing near, and I feel I have not yet prepared properly.
This last 1 month that dream grew even Intensely the message was like this “prepare prepare prepare” . I don’t know when Jesus Christ will return back to rapture us, honestly I don’t. I just know he is coming soon. Could be any day now. There is much violence and deception and selfishness prevalent in this world.
Jesus means both resurrection and restoration. Jesus Restores. Many times heaven is projected as an impersonal place, where all are angels floating around and singing and hugging everyone else, I often think heaven is vast and huge where each person gets to be himself/herself and yet have a close and quiet union with God, and his/her loved ones, rather than a super bowl soccer stadium cramped to the full. I always asked Jesus to put me in a quiet part of heaven if I get there. I believe those people even on earth who loved each other so much God will continue to keep them together and in that love always.
Yes I believe with you that God will restore back all what we lost, He will one day bring back my best friend who died, and resurrect him in Christ, (he believed in Jesus). And as for chikka, God will restore the creation back. The bible does mention restoration, at some points, but I will make it a point to stand before Christ and ASK HIM, holding his hand, that God please “restore” back Chikka. After all, creation and Adam and Eve were created to last for eternity, sin brought that to an end, and Jesus came to restore it back.
Well you are among the very few Christians that atleast didn’t reply by saying “go get another cat, the old ones gone and mixed with dust”, thank you for your post, it helped a lot and greatly. So much of replacement culture we see around “if your TV is broke, get another one, if your cat’s dead, get another one, if your wife died, get another one.etc etc etc” type of culture and my answer to them is NO, I WONT. Why? Because whatever precious things God gave me, is to last for eternity. I will stand by it. This is who I am. I value every small thing and every special person that came across my life. And your post just strengthened what I believe, that God will restore what we lost back.
But above all, I pray sincerely I will have the great opportunity and privilege to see you hugging your brother once again and holding him in front of Jesus Christ, I hope I can be a spectator to that wonderful sight, and I will look forward to see you smile and celebrate with your brother once again and only after that, I will ask God to bring back chikka, and I will make sure you and your brother will pat chikka in the coming days of glory when Christ will walk the earth once again. Whatever good gifts and people God gives us to be with us, is not just for “earth” or “till death do us part” but it is meant for eternity. Relationships are for eternity, no one can change that, because God is Eternal and those in Jesus are Eternal. Will stay in touch with you through email.
In the name of Lord Jesus Christ
Yours always
Trashbin Cat