Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: WEAR / WHERE (03/09/23)
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TITLE: Loves me, Loves my Pet | Previous Challenge Entry
By LINDA GERMAIN
03/15/23 -
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Maybe not. Nonetheless, Daisy Mae and I were a package deal, even though she made an immediate non-verbal comment on new husband’s pillow. It was not her tears.
His visits had never bothered her in the past, but now her sleeping spot was challenged. There was no way to tell her resting places would be reassigned.
Her emotional response to living with a new stranger was unexpected. I guess we should have provided some pre-marital pet counseling. Man and cat had little interest in each other.
Little by little, a fragile truce evolved, and we settled into a calm, predictable routine. She seemed to accept our new family dynamics on mysterious terms known only to her.
Proof of a positive shift was when I found her on the seat of his motorcycle in the garage. There she sat, entirely absorbed in watching him perform various mechanical fine tunings at his workbench.
These days, I would have whipped out a phone camera and documented the adorable sight. Those days only exist in old geezer’s memories and usually begin with, “Back then, blah, blah, blah.”
Anyway, she had made a slight move toward declaring an armistice. Later, I noticed her sitting in his lap, facing him and staring. He stared back. There was no verbal discussion. A peace pipe would have been appropriate, but neither smoked.
Then, we moved to a gulf state. Everything looked different and smelled different. Her head seemed to be on a swivel looking for a safe escape route. Even cute little chameleons scared her, and, of course, palm trees made no sense.
An article about the joy of relocating one’s cat suggested she would love to walk on a leash. Ha! That was easier said than done since she refused to stand on her feet. Dragging an animal down the sidewalk on its furry side is inhumane, so she won this round.
One Friday, a relative gave us an old sofa. With an impending severe storm brewing, spouse and his brother hurried to move the unwieldy furniture through the front door. Like lightning streaking across the dark sky, Daisy Mae grabbed the opportunity and bolted in a split second. Wind howled. Rain fell. Clouds hovered. Oh, dear! My baby!
At least I knew she was wearing a pretty little red collar with a bell attached, but her new tags were still in my purse.
We ran through pelting rain to the car and drove up and down the streets of the extensive apartment complex, searching and calling. I sniffled and cried between useless pleas of, “Here, kitty, kitty.”
After no sleep that night, I spent Saturday looking out the window at the still ferocious pounding rain, sobbing and praying.
“Oh, Lord, where is she? Please keep her safe and unafraid. Give her a plan.”
We never missed church, but my eyes were nearly swollen shut Sunday morning, and my still fairly new spouse had a sensible idea.
“Let’s miss services today and try one more time. Bring her rattle toy.”
Sprinkling rain still fell as we proceeded down the sidewalk to the street behind us. He held the umbrella, and I shook her favorite beat-up little bear.
I heard a faint, familiar noise when we stopped for a minute.
“Wait!” I gasped, “Something is jingling.”
As we turned around to try to place the sound, we saw a sight so cool only the Lord could have orchestrated it. Someone had parked a motorcycle in a car space and covered it with a heavy tarp.
Pretty sure what was under there, it was hard not to rush in where angels might fear to tread, so we proceeded with caution.
“Hey, Daisy Mae. Let’s go home and find something to eat.”
When she poked her sweet, drenched head out one side of the covering and meowed a happy greeting, I just about hugged the stuffing out of her. She didn’t stop purring for hours. I think she was saying, “I was so lost, but you kept looking and found me. Yippie!”
Love can manifest in unexpected ways. But more important, God always knows where each one is on the big road to ever-ever land, even dear pets.
We don’t all necessarily have to be wearing a red collar with a bell, but it couldn’t hurt.
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*True story
Cat’s name changed
Luke 15:6 (NLT)
When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’
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