Dear Boys and Girls,
This letter will be a little different, because some of you have been asking about the pets we have had over the past years. Okay. We’ve had more than five, but that’s how many I will tell you about in this letter. You may have read stories about some of them in my earlier letters.
First of all, we did not buy a cat or a dog. They were given to us by people who were tired of looking after them or were selling their house and moving into an area where pets are not allowed. We were asked if we would be able to give these pets a good home. Needless to say, we did our very best to help these animals.
And so, along came Buttons, a very lovable and smart poodle. She lived fifteen years and had one puppy which we called Jake. He was a real rascal! We loved him too, but he developed cancer and died when he was six years old.
About then, a beautiful white Persian cat strayed into our barn. We don’t know where she came from, but she lived in that barn for seventeen years. We named her Snowflake, because she came to us in the winter.
Then we were given a big, strong Doberman dog. She was named Scarlett because she was a red Doberman. She was a very protective dog, and she lived to be fourteen years old.
And now we have Chelsea. You may have read my letter about how we got her. She is a wonderful companion, very smart and also very strong. She is six years old. You may ask, “Grampa, how long will Chelsea live?”
Someone else asked that very same question. It was a man who lived in Bible times. He asked, “How long have I to live?” (2 Samuel 19:34). Children, only God can answer that question. He has said in His Word that there is “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2). So when that time comes for each of us to die, whether by sickness or accident, we must go to stand before God. None of us knows how soon that time will come, so we each need to be ready to meet God right now.
Do you wonder which pet we loved the most? We loved every one of them, and they loved us! You know, God loves you. Do you love Him? We think of that beautiful verse, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). That verse tells us that God loves everybody in the whole world! Gramma and I love God. We both trusted the Lord Jesus as our Saviour many years ago, and when the time comes for us to leave this earth, we will go straight to heaven. We often sing a song that says, “I love Him better every day.”
Do you have a pet that you love? Maybe you have had one that died. Do you wonder what we do with all our pets when they die? Well, we have a very special place by the pine trees where we bury our pets that we have loved and cared for. Some of you have been here and have seen our pet graveyard, with the wooden crosses and the names of our pets on each one.
And that makes me think about a very special cross. It was only a few days before the Lord Jesus laid down His life on a cross at a place called Calvary when the people brought young children to Him. Did He tell them to go away? No! He loved children! He said, “Suffer [let] the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14). And He took them up in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them! Can you imagine what it must have been like to be in the arms of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself! We sometimes sing, “Safe in the arms of Jesus.” Can all you boys and girls sing those words truthfully? We sure hope so!
Yes, Gramma and I loved our pets. They trusted us completely to look after them. And if you trust the Lord Jesus, He will do the same for you!
Lots of love,
Gramma and Grampa