Lessons from a Cat

Last night I was at my parents' house (somewhere I frequently am because we live in the same neighborhood and my husband is working like a crazy person because he's a CPA and it's busy season). My Mom and my sister and I were in the kitchen finishing up dishes from dinner. While we were complete our task, Toby our enormous tabby cat announced his presence by loudly meowing. He persisted in his urgent demands causing Sara to move toward the laundry room where his food is kept. Toby followed yelling the whole way (the cat likes his food, as evidenced by his large size).

We have started keeping Toby's food up on the dryer because my dog Desmond likes to eat Toby's food. Desmond is not agile enough to jump up on the dryer but Toby can despite his obese state. Well, Toby seems to suffer from long-term memory loss; he can not remember that we put his food up on the dryer despite the fact that we do it everyday. Sara began to pick him up to bring him to his food, and Toby not understanding the situation started crying even louder. He was exasperated that my sister would not give him the food he wanted. As she placed him down on the dryer, he saw his food and his cries subsided and he gleefully began to eat his food.

I am like Toby so many times. I suffer from long-term memory loss. I forget the goodness and providence that God has displayed in my life. Again and again, He shows His faithfulness and love in my life. I have an incredible family, I have a husband who was made just for me, and I have a cute house to live in. I am blessed. I am impatient like Toby. I forget that my Master loves me more than I can imagine and that He has my best interests at heart.

Toby does not realize that the whole reason we moved his beloved food up to where he can't see it is because we are protecting that food from Desmond. If we left the food down where he could reach it, he would not have the amount he has when we place it higher.

Losing Aleah is hard for me to understand, but I know the goodness of my God. He does not do anything just to see me suffer; He has a purpose. I may never fully know what that purpose is, but that does not change His good character. My circumstances do not dictate the character of God.

So the next time I am frustrated and angry, I will remember Toby. I will remember that everything my sister does is for his good (the same can't be said of me, Toby and I aren't the best of friends) even when he doesn't understand or can't see why. So I will have faith that my God has moved my Aleah up higher and someday I will get to her, even though I can't see her. I never thought that God would use cat food as analogy for my daughter (laughing in background) but it is a perfect analogy for me at this time in my life.