Smokey - a Lesson from my Cat

Hello again. I'm sorry I have been absent. The past few month have been challenging and emotionally painful. I am not able to share about the struggle at this time, but I want to praise God that He has been so very present through the entire time!

He has blessed me personally with a deeper relationship with Him and the gift of His peace that passes understanding. He has blessed my family in that my brother has come to Jesus! It feels like my 16 year-old son has matured five years in the past month! My business (which I asked God for His direction and will as to what I should do to earn a living) has really taken off! God is so good!

I am an animal lover. Cats are my favourite. I have three cats living with me, and there are three more that moved out with my oldest son. My brother, who lives with me, has a dog. Each of these animals has a very distinct personality, and I can learn from each of them. Today I will share about one of them. I will probably share about others in future posts.

SMOKEY

Smokey came to us a little over six years ago. I used to feed my cats on our porch and stray cats would sometimes come to take advantage of the free food. I would shoo them away. I can't afford to feed every cat in the neighbourhood. Smokey was one of these cats. However – there was something different. I realized he was sick and very thin. He was so terrified of people that he probably wasn't a stray but rather a feral cat (a wild undomesticated cat). He was wheezing so badly there was no way he could hunt. I live in the country and there are plenty of small rodents to feed hundreds of cats. However, a mouse could hear Smokey a mile away.

I started to feed him, but I had to go back into the house, as he wouldn't come anywhere near me. Well, to make a long story short, we ended up adopting him. It took many months for him to let us come near him, but eventually he moved in. As an example of how little he understood our world, it took 4 years for him to learn that he could sit on the window ledge and look out the window. Prior to that he was so scared at being picked up that nothing registered. Now he will tolerate being picked up. He loves sitting on anyone's lap, and can't get enough attention. He still has that wheeze and other messy health issues, and periodically a bad cough that needs antibiotics.

So what do I learn from Smokey? His is a story of salvation. Like every person that comes to Christ and finds a new life, Smokey found a new life with us. He is so grateful! In spite of constantly being sick, he is the most playful of my cats. He also wants to be with me all the time. He can't get enough of me. I think of Psalm 42:

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?

Do I have that attitude with God? When I am sick, is my life still characterized by joy and gratitude? Do I long to spend time with God? I can get annoyed at how much Smokey wants to spend time with me. He head buts me – hard – trying to get my attention. Can you imagine how God would feel if we were that desperate to spend time with Him! I am often busy and don't give Smokey the attention he so desperately wants. God is NEVER TOO BUSY, but if He was, would I want Him so badly that He would get annoyed?

Oh how I need to grow in my love and appreciation for what God has given me! I have a new life that is so much better that what I knew before! Do I really understand salvation. Like Smokey, I was dying. Then Jesus came and fed me with the Bread of Life – Himself. He gave me Living Water – His Spirit. These gifts did not cost me anything, but it cost Jesus His very life! I lack for nothing, as God meets all my needs in Christ. I have shelter, safety and protection under the wings of the Lord Almighty!

So, how do I show my gratitude? How do you show your gratitude for your salvation?

Blessed Jesus,

Wow! There are life lessons all around us. Please open our eyes to see them. Open our hearts to understand them. Thank you for Smokey. Thank you for his example to me. Let each of us have that desperation to spend time with You, just sitting in Your lap and enjoying Your presence. May we come with gratitude, rather than a list of things we want You to do for us. Help us to be grateful for what You have already done on the cross. Help us to be so in love with You that if You never gave us anything else, our gratitude would still be overflowing. Thank You for Your incredible gift of salvation! Thank You for loving us when we were dying and had absolutely nothing to offer! Thank You for loving us in spite of our messy imperfections and sins! Thank You for giving us hope and new life! Let us feast on You and drink deeply from the Living Water that You provide! All praise and glory and honour be to Your Holy Name. Amen!