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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: INSOUCIANT (06/02/16)
Misappropriating a little liberty, I’m going to live dangerously and postulate that insouciant = cat. The abundant smidgens of protoplasm that take their shape in forms such as amoeba, also exhibit varying degrees of indifference. As they have no discernible brain, this could be expected. And of course there are mammals such as the sloth to which one could affix the attribute of aloofness. However, more correctly, his essence is slowness, not necessarily that he is socially detached. The one animal that, across the board, flaunts insouciance is the CAT. One could even suggest that when God created the CAT he also created insouciance. Without one you do not have the other. Regardless of origination, the CAT has achieved perfection in nonchalance! You would be hard pressed to find someone who would challenge this.

If a visitor to my house would take the time to observe the hairs on the sofa, chairs, beds, floors, and even my clothes, he might notice two colors of hair. Two female cats have chosen my house to occupy. Neither cared much for my disposition towards dogs and ignored it. Cats have ways, mysterious, powerful ways which by bit by bit they have inched their way into my heart. One for close to 20 years, while the other for two years. They could not be more opposite in many ways. One is a lap cat, the other a finely tuned athlete. One eats tuna, the other doesn't. Their similarities, such as their fondness for fried chicken, are overpowered by the one thing that links all cats everywhere, insouciance.

In the 18th century, Christopher Smart penned a poem about his cat Jeoffry. He writes of Jeoffry being a servant of God, worshipping God, and purring in thankfulness when God tells him he is a good cat. It’s a good sentiment and I hope it is so. Yet, I truly wonder. Noah, had not likely heard of the Levitical Dietary Laws, yet apparently knew what God meant by commanding him to take upon the ark seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of the unclean. Where did the cat fall? The Levitical Law classifies them as unclean (unfit to eat). But otherwise, how does the Bible deal with cats, the domesticated kind, not the ones that could eat you? It alludes to the ferociousness of lions, but nothing about cats. That omission causes my mind to wonder why. Supported by evidence from other societies, cats were most certainly around, in fact, beloved and worshipped by some. So why? Was there a reason for the omission, or is it simply information deemed not important.

I have to go to the statement that Jesus said about us Christians being salt and light to the world. He did not say we are called to be salt and light, but that we are the salt and light. Our choice is not to be salt and light, but to be good salt and good light meaning we are being watched and that we should be acting in a Jesus-like way to bring blessings upon God.

Putting on my anthropomorphizing hat to study cats’ behaviors, I come away with mixed feelings. Cats are fiercely independent. A Christian should not be. We are part of a complete body and must act as a team. A cat is all about what he wants. A Christian must die to self. A cat is insouciant, aloof and indifferent to what others think. That cat-like attitude is one that we should harbor. We seem to care more about what people on the street think about us than what God thinks about us. Why can we not grow that indifference to peer judgement in our hearts? I wish I could put all that worry out of my life and put my whole trust in and on God. My prayer for you and for me is for that to be so.
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This article has been read 460 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Noel Mitaxa 
06/09/16
I like the dry wit that permeates this entry, even through all those big words. A few more para breaks would improve its flow, but you've done well.
Holly Westefeld
06/10/16
I enjoy considering the lessons we can learn from our feline friends. Insouciant definitely made me think of cats.
Bonnie Bowden 
06/16/16
Congratulations, Mike, on placing 1st in the Beginners category. I ran out of time before I could finish my story about an insouciant cat.

Your devotional is well thought out.
Bea Edwards 
06/27/16
Great way to present the topic, inform and compel the reader.

Congrats on your well deserved 1t place level win.
Gloria Pierre Dean
07/06/16
Excellent and well done. You certainly have studied cats.
Keep up the good work.