One of the great blessings since Nanci went to be with Jesus has been our dog Gracie, who we picked out together. Nanci had only ten months with her, but I’ve had her now five years, and I often reflect on the joy she brought to both of us from the day we brought her home. In certain ways, Gracie is sometimes very Nanci-like. (While some women would shudder to be compared to a dog, trust me, my dog-loving wife would consider it a high compliment!) When I’m not traveling, especially when writing, whole days can go by with it being just the two of us.
When I need to leave Gracie home, I give her a good treat but when I come back (sometimes just after getting the mail), she goes crazy. Half the time we walk and half the time we run together, and her sheer excitement and delight as she dramatically pulls her leash forward at the beginning of a run always makes me laugh.
I have often videoed Gracie running purely for fun, but sometimes I can’t keep up with her quick movement. This shows you what I’m talking about:
She’s only thirty-five pounds, but her speed once saved her when she was chased for sixty yards across a field by a big German shepherd, before jumping to the side, turning on a dime, and sprinting back to me. Family and friends have helped me grieve Nanci, but in her own way Gracie has done as much for me as anyone through her vibrancy and excitement for life, her loyal and truly unconditional love, and her utter devotion. There are days of bad weather here in Oregon where I would rather stay inside, but that’s simply not an option with Gracie, so I get the fun, fresh air, and the exercise!
Watch Gracie’s exuberant joy here as she greets the Eternal Perspective Ministries staff, gathered for a meeting at my office. Each time she’s released to see them, she dances around excitedly, greeting each person, before settling down and taking turns leaning against each staff person to get petted.
Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” Animals are the second most important part of God’s creation, after people. We should see God’s nature in His creation, including His animal creation.
Think of Adam in Eden, naming all the animals. Consider the representatives of all animal families rescued on the ark along with Noah and his family, shepherds and their sheep in Scripture, how God made us to be caretakers having benevolent dominion over them. And don’t forget the prophet Nathan’s story of how much a man loved his pet lamb (2 Samuel 12:3).
Exodus 20:10 tells us animals were to be included in the Sabbath rest. Deuteronomy 25:4 says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” The animal gets to eat the grain also. In Exodus 23:4–5, God commands His people even to help an enemy’s ox or donkey!
And Proverbs 12:10 connects caring for animals with goodness and virtue: “The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel” (NIV).
Are you a horse lover? Read Job 39:19–25, and you’ll see God is the original horse lover, not to mention their Creator! Isaiah 11:6-9 promises there will be animals on the New Earth, including wolves (dog family) and lions and leopards (cat family). The breeds indicated in Scripture are surely just a sampling. I’m confident there will be animals of every kind on that perfect restored world where former predators and prey are said to live together in perfect peace.
It might go to Gracie’s head to hear this, but she’s the inspiration for the dog featured in the new children’s book Heaven on Earth, which I cowrote with my very talented friend Lisa Tawn Bergren. The illustrator, James Bernardin, did a wonderful job. (Gracie also gets several mentions in my upcoming book All God’s Creatures.) You’ll definitely get the feel of animal-love in Heaven on Earth. Then in November, All God’s Creatures will offer you a rich theology of animals that I hope will engage your head and touch your heart.
Like the real Gracie, the book Gracie is a doodle (my Gracie’s the smaller kind, and is half Goldendoodle, half Labradoodle). The book Gracie is a bigger Goldendoodle, like real Gracie’s 80-pound friend Bo Keels. Both in real life and in Heaven on Earth, the two Gracies love people and going on walks and adventures:
She also deeply loves her people, as Book-Gracie adored both child and grandma:
She makes her family laugh:
And she is a gift from God to them:
Lisa Bergren and I wanted this to be a book that depicts the New Earth in fun and vivid ways. We hope you and your children and grandchildren and any child in your life will love it.
If you’re not familiar with Lisa, check out her website, and start reading her books!
