Gloria to God:

Dear Father in Heaven, Ginger, our little dog, has been quite sick; it turns out that she has diabetes. I have a couple of questions, but I'm not up to asking them now — or, rather — receiving the answers right now.

One is the age-old question: How is it that the innocent suffer? The other is: I am incapable of giving Ginger injections. I can't even look when the vet does it. How am I ever going to do it?

I guess I don't want the answers now because I am still a little distraught. I do have other questions to ask. Nancy, whom you answered the other day, has a few additional questions—

God:

Let Me ask you a question. Why are you distraught? You're going to say because of Ginger. I request that you look for a deeper answer.

Gloria:

Because of my fears, dear God, fear of loss, fear of lack of control, fear of change. God, it is so easy for me to say to be neutral about someone else's cat or dog or their father or husband. Certainly I know Ginger can't live forever, but when it's your own, it's so hard. How on earth can someone be neutral about what we call death?

God:

You also know there is no owning.

When one of My beloveds is freed to go on with life outside the earth domain, I do not expect that you will not mourn. Tears are human, and cry them. I don't expect that it won't matter to you.

If you knew how to love as I do with the big picture always in front of you — with the equanimity of sure knowledge that all is well, that all is superb, that your friend who leaves his body is meeting great joy, that there is no parting ever, and there never was this separation from your Creator, that nothing is changed but an everchanging material manifestation called body, that what is true is eternal, and that love cannot be lost — then it is unlikely that you would be a human on earth, for what would your purpose here then be?…Unless it was for others, and that is another story.

Deal with grief, but don't dwell on it. And do not live your fears ahead of time. That is not living life but dreading it.

And why do the innocent suffer?

First of all, all are innocent. That is the first thing to know. Even the most hardened criminal is innocent. Which one of you really knows what he is doing or why?

Now, you would say that Ginger is more innocent. A baby is more innocent. In terms of the world, of course. To Me, innocent does not have gradations.

Is there physical pain? Do hearts break? Do mothers lose their infants, and do puppies leave their little bodies on earth? Yes.

It is little comfort to My children to know that this perceived loss is illusion, that this whole conglomeration of the word is illusion, and that loss is impossible. But that is truth and can be some comfort to a grieving heart.

Somewhere in everything, no matter how dreadful-seeming, is blessing. Some further step in recognition of truth and remedy of untruth. Karen told you that in Ginger's illness, she was healing you and your daughter.

All is knowledge of yourself. All knowledge of the heart is a notch closer to me.

Even suffering that you see and experience is crossing the street to Me. Suffering makes you stop and take a look.

Suffering serves its purpose even though you know that suffering is an illusion, of even if you don't know. I repeat, perceived suffering serves its purpose.

When there is no longer human need for perceived suffering, there will be none.

Suffering is the imagined past returning. It is like the light that reaches earth years later from a far-distant star.

Is there a way for My children, if not to welcome all that comes, at least to greet it as an unknown guest at the door? To see the knock at the door as a message of love and connection regardless of the form? To know that the beggar brings you a gift? To know that the tiger brings you a gift? To know that the knock at the door and no knock are equal gifts? That there is a gift in every package, and it is up to you to discern the gift within? That Ginger's arrival at your door and her departure are equal gifts that ennoble and extend your heart Heavenward? And that all is to be grateful for, even your wandering heart?

There is always more answer to a question. Answers evolve. Questions are not really answered until you find the true questions. And that is what We are doing here.