Hi John and Doves,
 
Edwina, your e-mail was delightful. What a lovely story regarding your rescue dove - healed by the LORD. When we were farming, in Zimbabwe, my son rescued an orphaned Serval cat which he had found in the wild. This tiny little scrap still had the remnants of the umbilical cord attached.  It wasn't easy rearing this 'kitty'. Those tiny claws were sharp. As he grew (and grew and grew) those tiny claws became lethal talons! My son named him Wild (appropriately) and spent hours bottle feeding. The teats would be shredded after every feed. Wild would galumph into bed with us, in the mornings - purring like a tractor engine. This was all good until he got playful . He'd start off by kneading me in the back - claws retracted. That did not last long as the claws would soon come out and I'd leap out of bed - shrieking. Wild was a great fashion accessory - when he was sleeping!! It became impossible to entertain my friends who had small, crawling babies. They were fair game for Wild who would want to stalk them. Not kill them, you understand! Wild was male and his hormones soon dictated that he return to the wild to find a mate. He left but came to visit often - standing at the fence, waiting for us to come and say hello and throw him some meat. I often think about him and worry a little. There is so much poaching going on in Zimbabwe now. The people are hungry and Serval meat is considered a delicacy. Still - I have prayed about Wild and am quite sure he will be in glorious Heaven when we get there. We also had a rescue owl (another son's department). The Owl was named 'Flaps'. So, we had the owl and the pussycat!!! They were actually great pals.
 
I don't believe we can even begin to imagine how glorious Heaven will be, Edwina. God has made so many beautiful things, here on earth, for our pleasure. Heaven must be totally mind blowing. Waterfalls, streams and lakes. Rolling hills and majestic trees. Birds, in abundance. Everything that gives us joy will be there, I believe. The colors and music will be utterly astonishing. We will have work to do but I also imagine that our homes and gardens will be a big part of our lives. After all - that's how our LORD created us. Our homes are important to us.
 
I'm sorry to hear you are not well. I hope you have someone to take care of you. Please let me know if you are ever in need of some help. Herewith a picture of a Serval cat!
 
May God Bless you, Edwina and all the Doves
In Jesus' Beloved Name
 
Fay