A Lion, a Lamb and a Bear . . .

A statue now . . . alive then . . .


The picture we’re all familiar with of the lion and lamb lying together is one that always requires a second look by me. It represents a facet of God’s home I want to see! I’m especially refreshed by animals anyhow, so this picture brings me great joy!

The scripture verse suggesting this ideal scene comes from Isaiah 11, verses 6-7, “The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox.”

The other week, another dimension of this scene was ingrained in my mind. One I’d never thought of before. “I” will lie down with the lion and lamb, putting one arm around the lion’s huge fluffy neck and the other arm gently laying on the lamb, with my hand caressing its head. It made me smile.

I shared this reality in heaven with Jerry, thinking he’d probably say how crazy I am. But instead, Jerry started sharing about a thought he’d been having these last few weeks: “I’ve been thinking about being friends with a bear. Walking through the forest together enjoying God’s creation.” My stock of Jerry rose considerably! Smile. Two older individuals imagining heaven and the joys that await us.

A few weeks ago a co-worker shared her thoughts on animals before the fall, how all of them must have gotten along, enjoying the perfect garden God created. Perhaps that is what prompted my thoughts about the lion and the lamb. But what a thought!

God’s creation is awesome. Recently I’ve been looking at pictures of mature animals and their young. It amazes me. Miniatures of their parents . . . elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus . . .it simply astonishes me what God can do. Seeing a perfect baby elephant stand beside its mother is quite an image to behold! If you haven’t looked at baby animals in awhile, check some out on the web. You’ll have to smile at some of them. Our God is an awesome God.

In Lightposts for Living by Thomas Kinkade, his introduction begins with this: “Close your eyes and picture a place you’re yearning to be . . . Picture a world the way it was meant to be.” There is only one place I want to be . . . heaven.

The beautiful song, “That Sounds Like Heaven To Me” by Paula Stefanovich, and sung by Kim Hopper, shares what its title suggests. One of the lines says, “A place where hate and suffering won’t be found, lamb and lion, side by side, lay down.”

I like my thought of lying down with the lion and lamb. It would make for a refreshing pause through the timeless flow of eternity. One day it will be real.

For now, I'll enjoy the beauty I see here, like the delight below!