My heart tells me I'll see my dearest companions again.
I come from a VERY church-oriented family - six uncles are deacons, and my dad teaches Bible study and adult Sunday school. I have cousins who are preachers, and I myself play piano and pinch-hit for the kids' Sunday school classes when they don't have a teacher. I've been a church member myself since the age of 14. So I'd venture to say I've got a little bit of religion in my background <grin>. We are from a traditionally fundamentalist-type sect, but not fanatical about it.
I've gotten "into it" with my dad and our Sunday school class many times over the fact that there will be dogs, cats, lions, lambs, trees, flowers, etc in Heaven. They feel that we will be so happy there that it won't matter. I just can't buy into that. I've heard people talk all my life about the joys of being reunited in Heave with their loved ones. Well, my loved ones happen to include those of the canine and feline persuasions.
Like a great deal of people raised on/near farms and livestock, a lot of my family doesn't agree with me - saying that animals are "just animals" and have no ability to understand or value the afterlife. I can't agree with that. God gave us these companions for a reason - the reason being that they are a reflection of our own relationship with Him.
<stepping down off soapbox>
Sorry, I get pretty emotional over this issue.
