PET CORNER
Why Animals Are Angels
By Allen and Linda Anderson

“Why do you call animals, angels?”
Radio and television hosts and newspaper reporters frequently ask this question when we do interviews for our books. Sometimes it is accompanied by a snide comment such as, “My pet isn’t an angel!” Then they go on to report all the behavior that drives them crazy. But usually they end their tirade by saying, “But he’s family, and we love him.”

Over these many years, as you can imagine, we have come up with a ready answer to the question about animals as angels. We explain that our definition of an angel animal springs from the Greek derivation for the word angel, or angelos. This word literally means messenger. We believe (and have thousands of stories to back us up) that animals can be divine messengers who bring assurance to people that yes, indeed, there is love in this world.

Then we get into the thornier aspect of the question: Is every animal an angel?

Because both animals and humans are souls, or divine sparks of God, clothed in physical form, they can serve as messengers for others. Notice we draw no distinction between joyful, sad, protective, or any other type of message. As spiritual beings, animals are instruments of the Divine.

Mother Teresa once compared herself to a pencil God used for writing a love letter to the universe. Love letters, unfortunately, don’t always bring happy news. Love letters might convey a desire to end the relationship. They could strike the wrong note and fill the receiver with discomfort. Or express exactly the thoughts to make a beloved’s heart sing.

Like everything else in life, some messengers are better at service and delivery than others. Some messages are more likely to be welcomed than others. So yes, although we believe that each animal is an angel, a messenger, they don’t always deliver messages you want or expect. At the time of receiving a divine message, you might not be able to view it from a spiritual perspective. You might even blame the messenger.

Animals as Spiritual Mirrors
Many times, animals serve as a spiritual mirror to a person or family by reflecting anxiety, belligerence, or depression on the negative side and serenity, compassion, or creativity on the positive side. Animal creativity can be both positive and negative. (Anderson pets tend to be quite creative in achieving their goals, even when they are not compatible with human family members’ desires.)

In our newest book, “Angel Animals: Divine Messengers of Miracles,” the excerpted story below by Wayne Hudson from Brisbane in Queensland, Australia demonstrates an animal spiritually reflecting family life.

“Wayne says that Four-Paws, the family cat, bravely but gently does whatever is necessary to remind family members to be kinder to each other if there is a conflict in the house. Once when Wayne was about to say something in the heat of an argument that he might have regretted later, the cat intervened by jumping on his lap and placing her paw on his heart. This reminded Wayne to speak out of love instead of anger. Wayne writes, ‘Sometimes Four-Paws softly touches one of us with her paw. If the argument continues, she’ll playfully nibble at one of the offenders. Four-Paws helps us to keep the love in our family flowing more smoothly. Angel animals enrich and mend family life with peace, harmony, forgiveness, and patience.’”

The Promise of a Rainbow
Humans do a lot of thinking. Sometimes they hope God will answer important life questions, such as whether there is life after death. It is surprising when the answers come through furry, feathered, and finned friends. Animals are an overlooked key to wisdom and understanding.

One of our newsletter readers, Annette Maraist, sent us the following story. Annette now has a deeper understanding of life because she took the time and energy to notice gifts and blessings that Angel Animals brought into her life.

Annette writes:
“A few years ago my beloved cat, Crystal, passed on. She was almost thirteen. Crystal was a lovely Siamese mix. I named her Crystal because of her crystal-blue eyes.
“She passed in the middle of the night, while I was sleeping on the sofa. When I awoke that early morning, the first thing I saw was my male Siamese mix, Holly, curled up in my arms with his arms entwined in mine. He knew I was going to need him, for then I discovered Crystal’s still body.

“Holly was the light of my life and my greatest comfort through the grief of missing my Crystal. I don’t know what I would have done without him.
“Soon after Crystal had passed, I was driving in the rain, feeling very sad. I started crying. I looked to the right of my car. There was an incredible rainbow right there. I could clearly see where the end touched the ground. And then the rainbow touched the hood of my car!

“At that time, I had never heard of the poem, “Rainbow Bridge” but soon after seeing my rainbow, I came across it. [The Rainbow Bridge story tells of a lovely place on the other side of life where our animal companions wait peacefully for us until we can cross the bridge together.] Later, I read about other people having extraordinary experiences
with rainbows following the deaths of loved ones.

“On the day when the rainbow touched my car, I knew right away this was a sign from God, telling me that Crystal was all right. Ever since I saw that rainbow I have felt better.”
Mostly, people express gratitude for the animals who grace their lives. These divine messengers heal, comfort, and love them each and every day. How blessed are individuals who recognize the spiritual aspect of relationships and the broader significance of experiences with pets.

We feel fulfilled when people tell us that after reading one of our stories, they can say, “I get it now.” They understand that the creatures, who live in their homes or whom they see in nature, are devoted spiritual partners. Isn’t that what angels are?

Allen and Linda Anderson are founders of the Angel Animals Network and authors of a series of books about the spiritual connection between people and animals, published by the New World Library. “Angel Animals: Divine Messengers of Miracles,” is their newest book. Subscribe to the free, online Angel Animals Story of the Week at www.angelanimals.net. Visit the Andersons’ other websites www.rescuedsavinganimals.net and www.writingontherun.com