I thank God for Animals.

Jonah 4:9-11

⁹ But God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the bush?” And he said, “Yes, angry enough to die.” ¹⁰ Then the Lord said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow; it came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?

For a big part of my life, animals have made me smile.  My constant companion in my grade school days was our family dog, Princess.  (And after her, a string of canine companions has included Nicky, Lady, Feather.)  We have had more cats that I can recall.  Birds, bunnies, iguanas, hamsters have always filled our family’s life with the special type of love.  People are generally OK, but animals almost always make me smile.

And I think animals make God smile.  I love the last few lines in the book of Jonah.  Jonah wanted God to punish the people of Nineveh (Noah’s enemies), and yet God was gracious and forgiving.  Jonah was angry and sat under a bush and pouted over God’s unconditional love.

And why shouldn’t’ God show love and compassion for the inhabitants of Nineveh?

there were more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also many animals?

I thank God for how I smile when I think of animals.

Prayer

Thank you God for how my soul is touched when I see a silly dog trick or a cute little kitten.  Thank you for how my heart melts when one of your precious creatures crosses my path.  Thank you for animals.