Do all good dogs go to heaven?

This morning I took my 13 year old soft coated wheaten terrier (terrorist) to the vet to have him put down. A sad day indeed for me and I could not believe how emotional I felt about my old dog when the vet gave him the fatal injection. But I knew his time had come and it was the humane thing for me to do.I felt a bit like the old man in the film called 'of mice and men' who in the end had to do the same with his canine friend. A few days ago Barney watched me dig him a grave in the garden in preparation for his final resting place.But as they say in the U.K. he had a good innings and I thank God for the enjoyment he brought to my family.I remember when I was about four years old and had found a dead chick outside my house. I ran in to tell my mum who understandably had more things to worry about than a dead sparrow chick. But I wanted the world to stop and mourn.It was only later when I started to read the Bible, when I was about 15, and read where it says along the lines: 'there isn't a sparrow that falls to the ground that your heavenly Father doesn't know about and how much more does he care for you'.He had shared that moment with me.
Wow. Though God doesn't always intervene the way we would like him to or perhaps expect- we can take it by faith that what he says is true and that he knows what is best no matter what happens.There are things such as life and death that are outside our control and which we must leave in his hands, and do what the wise man in Proverbs encourages us: 'trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding'
The great unwashed, uncombed, shaggy Barney after a walk in the woods.

Many thanks to Brenda and Cliff of 'Diary of a Wildlife photographer' http://inspirationalphotos.blogspot.com/ who was able to produce the following picture from one of the photographs my daughter took.You can also click their link on my favourite links. Their photographs are brilliant.