Lessons from My Cat

November 30, 2015

I’ve read lots of articles about how children can show us lessons about having a relationship with God. Some have even written about what they learned from dogs.

But cats? Absolutely!

My little Tazanna (“Princess” for those who ask!) is a sweetheart. Shy and retiring with strangers, she nevertheless will come and ask for a scratch when she feels more comfortable.

Even before we know God well, we can ask for and receive His attention.

Taz has a few preferred activities: playing with her toy mouse and begging for kitty treats come to mind. But her all-time favorite thing is to cuddle up on my lap. Sometimes she stretches out regally, other times she curls up with her tail over her face, but she is still in a place where she knows she is comfortable and safe.

Cuddling on Daddy God’s lap is a wonderful place to be, whether we are feeling uncomfortable or contented with our current circumstances. We can be assured we are always welcome and safe there. We can rest in His love at all times.

She always comes to eat as soon as she hears the dish being filled with crunchies. She waits patiently on the other side of the kitchen until I am finished before she approaches, even if she is very hungry.

God is always preparing good things for us, but too often we try to speed Him up or, worse yet, forge along ahead of Him. We have to learn to wait patiently for His timing. Then we have to come boldly to the table He has set before us. Our provision is from Him . . . always.

My long-haired Taz doesn’t always like to be brushed. She hates having her claws trimmed. However, she doesn’t fight me anymore. She has learned to accept my ministrations with a measure of grace. And when I groom her regularly, she doesn’t get as many hairballs. And she doesn’t hurt me accidentally with too-long claws.

The Bible says that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We can expect pruning. And that pruning is not without purpose—it’s to increase our growth and effectiveness. We may not like it and it may be uncomfortable, but we need to accept His grooming with good grace, knowing it’s for our benefit. We are also less likely to cause accidental harm to others when we let Him clean us up to reflect His glory.

So, there you have it. To paraphrase Matthew 18:3, “unless you become like a little kitty, you will not see the kingdom of heaven”.