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A Father's Love

I walked into the veterinary hospital and was anxious to find my cat, named Rice. He had been neutered today, and I know that he was probably ready to go home. I walked into the room, and I saw Rice sitting in his kennel, he was as far back into the corner as he could get. As I opened the kennel door, he hissed at me. He had never done that before. I felt so bad for my cat, he was trembling in fear and he seemed so weak. He allowed me to pick him up and take him out of the kennel. I looked at him and tried to tell him it was going to be ok. Soon afterwards, the nurses conveyed to me all that was going on in Rice's world today, and they told me what he needed.

I was asked to place him in my bathroom all night long while he recovered, and not to give him any food or water until midnight. Since he was neutered, he lost all bladder control and he needed to be placed in a small area for a while. When I got home I he sat in his pen, I went to the bathroom to get it all ready for him to stay the night. I placed towels all around on the floor, and gave him two of his favorite toys, and I got his cat bed for him to lie down in. I had forgotten his litter box, so I went into my kitchen to get it.

As I walked passed my kitten, I heard his crying and meowing. I looked at him and said, "One moment, I am preparing a place for you." I grabbed his litter box and all of the sudden I realized what I just said, I dismissed it as chance, but I couldn't help but think how God prepares a place for us in Heaven (John 14:2).

I went into the bathroom, placed the litter box in there and checked out the room, it was all ready for him. I went and took my cat and held him in my arms. He was still very frightened and was trembling. It almost looked like he was confused. I tried petting him for a while to let him know it would all be ok. I talked to him a little and told him everything is going to be all right. I told him that I was there for him and he didn't need to worry, of course he didn't understand.

After a few more minutes of playing with my cat, I left and went out to be with friends for a little while. When I returned a few hours later, I went right for my bathroom to see him. Then he ran into my tub and got as far away from me as he could. He hissed again and really didn't want to associate himself with me. I was able to take him into my arms and pet him again. He really needed someone to hold him and care for him, and I needed to show him my love. Soon after midnight, I went and left him some food and water and then went back to bed. I could hear him crying. I thought " Is he going to be sad all night?" Poor Rice was lonely, confused, scared and confined. I wanted so much to help him, but I knew what was best for him and I had no other choice. So I decided to leave him there. It really hurt to hear his crying knowing I could do nothing for him.

That's when it all hit me. I started to connect some of the things that had happened to both my cat and I today. I recalled being in the vets' office and watching him hiss at me when I came near. Then I remembered a time when I had yelled at God and was upset with him cause I was hurt. I recalled the time where the ladies at the vet office told me his needs and what I needed to do for him, and all of the sudden, the Holy Spirit came to mind. It was as if I could see the Holy Spirit conveying my needs to God, taking out my own selfish request and telling God what I really needed. When I thought of him trembling in fear I saw my own fear that I had in the height of my struggles. I picked up my cat and held him in my arms, and yet I pictured my struggling and remembered how God picked me up too. I remembered how my kitten looked as if he couldn't hear me telling him that everything would be ok. I then remembered so many of my struggling times where God was trying to tell me that I would be ok, but His words fell on deaf ears; I was spiritually deaf.

When I remembered about going and getting his litter box earlier in the evening and remembered what I said to my cat I was almost in shock. "I am preparing a place for you!" Ok, now things got all too odd. I remembered John 14:2 "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." Jesus is preparing a place for me to join him, and yet I continued to cry out to him as if he left me alone. The cat wasn't really ready for me to help him yet. As I recalled him going into the corner of the room as far away as he could get from me, I thought of a time when I was so confused, and in so much pain, and so afraid, and I remembered pushing God further and further away from me.

The similarities between my struggles and my cat's evening were really giving me a great picture. The entire evening that my cat had been in the bathroom, his strength was beginning to come back. It was a picture of how God will allow us to go through the re-finers fire, using a period in our walk to draw us closer to God.

I frequently got up and checked in on Rice to see how he was doing, I can't help but recognize God and the way He was faithful and checked up on me throughout all of my struggling. When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was to check in on him and see how my little kitten was doing. He was sleeping and looked so cute. I left him there and kept the bathroom door open. I sat on my couch and started to shake a can that some cat treats are in. All of the sudden, I heard my cat running towards me. He was running full force towards me and planted himself right on my lap. I gave him a treat, and he looked stronger than ever before. I could almost see his happiness. I wondered how God could paint such an awesome picture of His love for me. To look up at my Father, the one true God and see him smiling as I reached BACK and gave him a hug.

My cat and I saw the same thing, our provider had delivered us out of the hard times, and we looked up at Him with appreciation. Sure, I am not God, but for my cat, I am his provider and his comforter. I can't believe God's awesome grace. Sure, this was a story about a cat and his trip to the vet. But was that all there was to it? Was God trying to paint a picture for me, was He trying to show me life from His perspective?

My solemn prayer is that your eyes are opened like mine were on that evening, that you would see God moving in and around you, and that you would see life from His perspective, a God-centered way of life. There are pictures all around you open your heart so that you may see, the wonderful things in His Love.

Author: Keith Ramsey