Lesson Learned from the Little Black Cat

I am a lover of animals.  Cats, dogs, mine, yours- it doesn't matter.  A card carrying member of both the ASPCA and the HSUS.  The proud sponsor of a monthly pet care sponsorship for the HSUS and a frequent contributor to my favorite animal charity- Operation Baghdad Pups.  I leave the room when they air those Humane Society commercials of sad looking dogs and cats with Sarah McLaughlin  singing "In the Arms of the Angels" in the background.   Just shoot me.  I can't bear it.....

Just a little over a year ago- end of August '09, I lost my beloved  14 yr old 3 legged cat companion Abby to lymphoma.  Abby was an amazing creature.  She was sassy, bold, fearless, and my best animal friend.  She loved me.  She ways always near.  If I sat down, she found me.  It was easy to kind of take her for granted because she was always within arm's length of my reach.  She often felt like just an extension of me.....I adored her.

After her death, I felt lost.  Enter the girls at my vet's office who just happened to have the solution to my grief.  A 5 week old solid black bundle of fur and energy whom we named Emma.  Emma after Emma of the Jane Austen novel.  Like Miss Emma Woodhouse, my Emma is always up to no good too!  Emma has now been running our household for over a year now.  She is the boss of everything just as Abby was.  The difference is, that Emma hardly ever sits still.  She is a whirling dervish of activity, seldom stopping for anything but food.  Her favorite activity is hunting for prey in our wooded yard.  She is quite skilled.  I have been gifted with many of the "fruits" of her hunting expeditions.  Small garden snakes (multiple times).  Live moles.  Many lizards.  Insects of all types.  And once, a monarch butterfly.  She carries them into the house and releases them on the kitchen floor- always alive- and then waits proudly for me to "find" them.  She is quite the provider!

The one thing I would change about Emma if I could is that she is so active she won't let me love on her very much.  She is just way too busy going about her business.  She seldom climbs up into my lap.  It is a rare thing for her to settle down long enough for me to get in a good snuggle with her.  I adore her.  She is so much fun, and she just makes me smile.  I want to spend quiet moments with her in my lap as I read or listen to music.  No such luck most of the time.....Just rare occasions which are precious to me.

It strikes me that this is how we are with God.  We are very busy creatures.  We hustle and bustle about all day long.  We seldom think about spending time in His arms, and if and when we do, we are in a hurry to jump up and get on to the next task.  10- 15 minutes a day in prayer or reflection is about all most of us manage, if that.  How much more does He love us, his children than I love my little black cat?  If I want to hold and love her, how much more does He want this of us, the ones he has created to love Him?

Sarah Young says it better than I can:  "Relax in My Everlasting Arms.  Your weakness is an opportunity to grow strong in awareness of My Almighty Presence. When  your energy fails you, do not look inward and lament the lack you find there.  Look to Me and My sufficiency; rejoice in My radiant riches that are abundantly available to help you.  Go gently through this day, leaning on Me and enjoying My Presence.  If you look back on your journey thus far, you can see that days of extreme weakness have been some of your most precious times.  Memories of these days are richly interwoven with golden strands of My intimate Presence."  From "Jesus Calling"  That Sarah sure has a way with words!  This is why I start every day with her.

Strangely enough, the one time that I can always count on Emma to show up is very early in the morning when I get up for my quiet time of prayer, reading, and reflection.  I always sit in the same spot in my beautiful room of all windows where there is nothing but views of green and trees all around.  She climbs into my lap, often trying to lay across my Bible as I read it.  We have learned to compromise on this.....She purrs and drowses as I read and reflect.  It is a wonderful time.  Emma spending time with me.  Me spending time with The Good Shepherd.  What could possibly be better than this?    Shalom!