1Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I didn't know what the rapture was until my very late teens. It wasn't something the Methodist or Presbyterian churches I grew up in talked about....or maybe they did and I was busy daydreaming about some boy or singing "Baby Got Back" in my head during those sermons.

I was enlightened while at my Baptist-then-boyfriend's house and they played a movie on the Rapture-- from the 1970's. Any movie made in the 70's trying to portray end times should be shown only for comedic effect. Now we've got Schwarzenegger's "End of Days" and other movies that don't necessarily portray the Biblical end times, but some sort of apocalyptic disaster unrelated to God and Satan. Regardless, that movie opened my eyes. Not so much that now I believe the rapture is going to happen...but it was dramatic and entertaining.

I lost my cat, Chica, once. I knew she was somewhere in the apartment and there were only so many places she could hide, though you'd be amazed how many. I searched everywhere and could not find her. I called my mom...because that's what I always do. Even though she's 45 miles away and wouldn't be able to help me, I still called her. My first thought was, "Great, it's the rapture and my cat has been taken, but I'm left behind. Oh, and since Mom answered the phone, she was left behind too. Fabulous." Mom assured me it was not the rapture and while I was debating this with her, I noticed a large lump in the back of my recliner. Chica had crawled all the way in back while I was napping, reclined. That, above all else, confirmed to me it was not the rapture.

Surely all animals will be taken.

And now, any time I can't find someone, my first thought is, "Great, it's the Rapture and I've been deemed 'not worthy'. Go figure."