Children

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The cat sat on the mat which had been placed at the front door by her mistress. She sat there, thinking awhile of how fortunate was her life; how fortunate she was to have a mistress as she had; how fortunate she was to have such a beautiful home as she had; and how fortunate she was to have such a loving family to share this life with. She saw the life of other cats. Lives that were not to be envied! Lives full of fear; lives not knowing from where the next meal would come; lives of sickness, hunger and pain. Oh! Yes! She was fully aware of the bountiful life she lived! But she wondered, as she sat atop that mat “how can I make a difference to the lives of my friends”. “Why should I have all of this and they have nothing? For what reason have I been granted special privileges in life?”

She sat there pondering on these and other questions. Of late she had been plagued by such questions and more, as she sat there day after day – observing her world and the world around her. Recently a new friend had come into her life – a friend who she felt comfortable with; a friend who she felt she could trust; a friend who, she felt sure, would help her to realise the answers to these questions and help her to work through these and other issues. However, her new friend was not of her choosing for why would she choose a donkey?

Donkey had come stumbling into her life, careering down the road at full pace, escaping the cruel and wicked beatings of his master. Donkey had blindly run down this road and that, turning left and right at whim, not knowing to where he was going or from whence he had come! Donkey did not care for anything in that moment, other than escape! Escape from his master; escape from the tortuous life he had led; escape from the only world he had known; escape into the unknown. Eventually Donkey had run out of breath; had run out of energy; had run out of escaping and had collapsed in a mess in front of her mat!

As quick as lightning Cat sprung from her mat to give whatever aid she could to Donkey but wait! Just what can a cat do for a Donkey? This was no time, however, to contemplate options. She could instantly see that Donkey was in a desperate state! Donkey needed water and lots of it and he needed it NOW!!! Only yesterday Cat had been playing with the garden hose and had discovered how to turn on the tap! At the time, other than thinking how clever she was, she thought no more about it – it was a personal thrill that would not make any difference to anyone else; it would not change anything; it would not set the world alight. After all, she wasn’t the first cat to discover how to turn on a tap – or was she? However, today a life depended on her turning that tap on again! Could she repeat what she had only stumbled across yesterday? Could she remember how she had jumped on the tap; what twists had she done in her body that had led to her amazing discovery; how much spring was there in her jump that had made the difference and dislodged the tap from its seating that allowed it to swivel – ever so slightly but ever so magically!

Cat wracked her brains as fast and as hard as she could and all of this in a split second. After all, a split second was all the time she had, as she bounded across the lawn and garden and whooosh! Up she leapt, twisting her body with just the right amount of angle; with just the right amount of force and landed on the cross-bar of the tap! Would it give way? Would it turn? Would it gush forth the life saving water that Donkey so desperately needed? After what seemed an eternity, water streamed out of the hose, the end of which had been left so perfectly positioned as to be near Donkey’s head; right next to his outstretched tongue. Who planned all of this so flawlessly; every minute detail of Donkey’s needs had been planned in advance? Who knew that today Donkey would be lying outside Cat’s home and knew also, his every need? Who directed Cat’s every step; her every jump; her every leap; her every experiment; her every probe into this and that? Who was it who knew what needed to be done long before it was even needed?

Who indeed? But He who gives, directs and orchestrates life itself! He is the One who provides Living Water; Living Water that can only come from the Holy One. Living Water that is life itself.

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