Letter From God - Meredith's Dog

LETTER FROM GOD

February 17, 2008 2:23 PM

Subject: Letter From God !!

From our neighbor, who is a retired Post Office worker . . .

US POSTAL SERVICE

This is one of the kindest things I have ever experienced. I have no way to know who sent it, but there is a beautiful soul working in the dead letter office of the US postal service.

So began the email with the following story . . .

	Our 14 year old dog, Abbey, died last month. The day after she died, my 4 year old daughter Meredith was crying and talking about how much she missed Abbey. She asked if we could write a letter to God so that when Abbey got to heaven, God would recognize her. I told her that I thought we could so she dictated these words: Dear God, Will you please take care of my dog? She died yesterday and is with you in heaven. I miss her very much. I am happy that you let me have her as my dog even though she got sick. I hope you will play with her. She likes to play with balls and to swim. I am sending a picture of her so when you see her You will know that she is my dog. I really miss her. Love, Meredith

We put the letter in an envelope with a picture of Abbey and Meredith and addressed it to God/Heaven. We put our return address on it.

Then Meredith pasted several stamps on the front of the envelope because she said it would take lots of stamps to get the letter all the way to heaven.

That afternoon she dropped it into the letter box at the post office.

A few days later, she asked if God had gotten the letter yet. I told her that I thought He had.

	Yesterday, there was a package wrapped in gold paper on our front porch addressed, "To Meredith" in an unfamiliar hand. Meredith opened it. Inside was a book by Mr. Rogers called, "When a Pet Dies." Taped to the inside front cover was the letter we had written to God in its opened envelope. On the opposite page was the picture of Abbey & Meredith and this note:

	Dear Meredith, Abbey arrived safely in heaven. Having the picture was a big help. I recognized Abbey right away. Abbey isn't sick anymore. Her spirit is here with me just like it stays in your heart. Abbey loved being your dog. Since we don't need our bodies in heaven, I don't have any pockets to keep your picture in, so I am sending it back to you in this little book for you to keep and have something to remember Abbey by. Thank you for the beautiful letter and thank your mother for helping you write it and sending it to me. What a wonderful mother you have. I picked her especially for you. I send my blessings every day and remember that I love you very much. By the way, I'm easy to find, I am wherever there is love. Love, God

Snow, herself, was much like a letter from God. Though I had not grown up religious, and in the winter of 1974 I had ten years before I would go looking for God, I came to see her as a special angel sent into my life. The first house I ever owned was on a corner. It was small, but in a new subdivision, with no fences yet, and a number of the lots around us were vacant. The "back door" was actually on the side of the house and faced south. It was there that I met Snow. She had wandered into our yard during a snowstorm and took refuge in the corner where the basement wall and concrete porch joined. I happened out the door, and she ran away. However, when nobody was there, she would return. I leaned a piece of plywood against the house to provide a little more shelter for her, and began to set out a dish of food since she looked pretty forlorn. As the days and weeks went by, it became clear she had been mistreated by someone. Although she always ran if we approached, she did so in a cowering fashion, as if she were anticipating an unpleasant response. It was weeks before she allowed us to come near. It took a great deal of patience, and willingness to simply give without expecting anything in return.


	Some people say I do not like animals, but it is not the truth. I simply do not believe in having indoor pets, and I do not wish the responsibility or the expense of owning an animal. I am not sure if most those who claim to love animals, actually do, or if they simply love what the animal provides for them. However, since Snow (it was the snowstorm, not her color, which gave her the name) had obviously adopted us, I built her a nice dog house with plenty of straw, and fortified it in the winter with bales of straw surrounding it. We fenced the yard so she did not need to be on a chain, and eventually we became pretty good friends.

In June 1975 my son was born. I have always credited Snow for preparing me with the patience needed to deal with babies and raise children. My daughter was born in 1978. Snow remained a part of the family well into the late 1980s. I took the pictures on this page between September 1986 and January 1987 when Snow was living at my house (backyard) after the divorce. Eventually she went to live with the kids and their mom. I do not remember the date Snow died in an accident, but it makes me sad even now.

God's gifts of grace come in many forms. It could be a letter . . . but sometimes it is what preceded it.


	This page falls more into a "random acts of kindness" category than parable, but that is why this section is called Modern Parables Plus. Both parables and direct stories are shared. When I received the above email in my inbox on February 17, 2008, I copied it into my do something with folder which did not save or display any graphics which might have accompanied the email. As mentioned, the pictures on this page are of our dog Snow. I received another copy of this email on September 09, 2009 under the subject name "Dogs Go To Heaven." I apparently checked on the true status of the story, which it was, because I had a Snopes URL (http://www.snopes.com/glurge/abbey.asp) pasted into the beginning of that saved document, which I had also placed into my do something with folder. The text is copied from the 2008 email.