Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: CAT (11/08/18)
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TITLE: Purr-fection | Previous Challenge Entry
By Donna Powers
11/15/18 -
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They call me the Cat Lady.
I’ve loved cats since I was a little girl. When I was 7 years old, my parents got Mittens at the local shelter, and she was the light of my childhood. In a town where I wasn’t girly enough for the perfectly pink cheerleaders; or smart enough to be a nerd; or different enough to be accepted by the oddballs - my little Mittens was always ready to brush up against me and purr me into knowing I was unconditionally loved. Her soft, orange and white-striped fur and comforting purr were always a balm for whatever woes I felt during my childhood and teen years.
When I got to college, it seemed inevitable for me to be a veterinarian, and so I always have cats around me at work. But I’ve also usually got up to 10 of them staying with me at home, at any given time.
It’s really not as crazy as it sounds. Our local animal shelter is great and they do their best to take in all the town’s stray cats, but they get overcrowded at times, and they’ve learned to call me when they find one they can’t shelter. When they do, I find myself opening my barn to yet another tabby or Tom. I just can’t turn them away – and believe me, they give me as much love as I lavish on them. I take care of them all until I find good homes for them. After I give each one away, the Lord always sends another one or two to take its place.
Over the years, I’ve come to believe cats can teach us profound daily lessons about our human relationships with God. For one thing, there’s the way cats so often walk: with their proud tails pointing unfailingly upward. It’s as if they are carrying a banner of praise across the room; a perpetual reminder to look to the place “from whence comes our help.” *
When the cats want food or something else from me, they often stand on their hind legs to get closer. This takes effort for them, and it reminds me of how Our Lord will go often go to any length to get our attention and abide with us in fellowship.
I spend time with each of the cats in my care; lovingly stroking their soft, supple fur. And while this is a comfort to us both, the cats’ frequent response of a deep inarticulate purring reminds me of the times I am so overwhelmed by God’s blessings that I have no sufficient words and allow the Spirit to let me communicate with Him in “groans that cannot be uttered”.**
Did you know the ancient Egyptians used to worship cats? Back then, when so many homes were overrun by vermin and other pests, their cats’ ability to keep those pests out of their lives led the Egyptians to endow them with divine attributes. I certainly don’t worship my cats, but when I watch how single-minded they are when they catch and vanquish a mouse or bird, I’m reminded how God has promised to vanquish our enemies.
Mostly, I’m struck by how each of the cats I care for - even those who are similar breeds - has a distinct personality. Some are affectionate; some aloof; some are indolent while others are full of skittish energy. Yet they all need the same things: food, shelter and love. This reminds me of God’s love for all of us; individuals who remain unique yet equally loved and cared for by our Father God.
I know these aren’t perfect analogies, but I choose to be grateful for all the lessons my furry charges reveal to me. And as I provide for my cats, I am grateful for these daily reminders that God cares for us in so many ways.
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*Psalm 121:1 “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help.”
** Romans 8:26 “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for u through groans that cannot be uttered.” (NKJV)
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