Phil,

I enjoyed reading your story about your lizard.  I have at least a couple of 
things to say that I've learned, that are related to God's message of love 
to you and me, and certainly to all His children.

Last week, one of the Daybreak clients, (I'll call her T), brought in her 
beloved cat, because someone else, J, said he/she would take her.  T saw 
that she had to give it away because she would otherwise have to pay a 
bundle a month to keep her, and apparently, she wouldn't want to move.  then 
it seemed that J said he/she couldn't take her after all.  I heard two of my 
other friends talking: G was urging L to take her.  they both loved cats, 
and G was concerned that the cat would be put to sleep if she didn't have a 
home, and that would be terrible!  I prayed not only that the cat would be 
given a home, but that, if it is within God's will, He would make a way for 
T to keep her.  For one thing, animals are therapeutic for those who live 
with troubled minds.  It seemed that the Lord told me that, even if she was 
put to sleep, she would still be all right.  The same is true for any 
animal, even when treated unfairly and cruelly; there is an end to all their 
suffering.

I also appreciate the message you got that, when you get to Heaven, Jesus 
would give you another green Lizard, although I would have been more 
comforted if it were the very same lizard!  He showed me, perhaps a 
semblance of what He showed you about wanting to identify with you: 
Remember when, (somewhere in the gospels), after the rich young ruler turned 
away sad, because he had great wealth, and Peter essentially asked, "What's 
in it for us to Follow you?"  It seems that we may be commonly taught that 
we should not ask such a question, and just follow Jesus no matter what. 
But notice that Jesus did not say, "It doesn't matter, just follow me," or 
"Oh you'll get something better than what you've sacrificed."  Instead, He 
came down to their level, and specifically told them that for the houses, 
children, fields, etc that they left behind, they would receive a hundred 
times as much of those very things, along with persecution, then eternal 
life!  Those items were probably things that people cared a lot about in 
those days.  For me, it would be music keyboards, computers, and other 
things that I can be creative with.  One of my symptoms of obsessive 
compulsive disorder is the thought pattern that says that I cannot enjoy 
anything now because I somehow got it the wrong way, and that if I'd done 
all the right things, I would not have acquired them.  Thus I am sad to 
think that the only way I can have what I like might be by sinning!  The 
Lord showed me that, if there is anything of this nature that I would want 
when I get to Heaven, I can have them, because I'll never want what I can't 
have!  the same would be true if He were to ask me to give any of that up to 
follow Him, (another one of my fears).  If He would have just said, "You'll 
get something that is much better, and you won't miss those petty things," I 
would not be comforted nearly as much as what He actually did say.

Sharon