I woke up this morning with Sonny the fat cat's head nestled under my chin and his body draped over my arm. Two years ago on a winter night, Sonny meowed at the door until Tom let him in and I fed him. The rest is history. Sonny started out as Sundae - a girl cat so named because "she" looked like two scoops of vanilla ice cream with caramel on top. Sundae wasn't a kitten but was too small to be a full grown cat. After inquiries in the neighborhood and when we were sure Sundae had adopted us in spite of the dog and our other cat, Tom took "her" to the vet. Sundae had problems of, let's say, a gastrointestinal nature, and we didn't know if she needed to be fixed, needed shots, etc., etc. Tom called from the vet's with the news that Sundae was a Sonny who had not only been fixed but, ahem, castrated. Sonny was also older than he looked due to his health problems and hard life on the street. He had an abcessed tooth which explains his odd way of eating and the mess he makes. Sonny is also vision-impaired, thus the cute but odd tilt of his head when he looks at us and the way he suddenly leaps at nothing. Sonny was a cat with problems but plenty of personality and love to share.
What's funny about Sonny is that when he's good, he's very, very good, but when he's bad . . .I could kill him. Most mornings Sonny decides to rise and shine between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. and he wants company. He scratches incessantly on the scratch pad hanging on the back door (three feet from my side of the bed) or turns on the radio to wake me for "our time." He's learned that if I catch him at either of these activities I'll throw him outside, so when he hears me throw back the sheet he accelerates from 0 to 65 mph to hide under the bed. There he waits until I settle back into a deep sleep when he starts this charming game again.
But this morning was different since he's adjusting to the time change like the rest of us. I woke with him still sleeping snuggled next to me and kissed his head and rubbed his ears and chin. I thought he would leap into action when I kicked the sheet off to get cool, but Sonny didn't flinch. Why? Because he was being very, very good and had nothing to fear.
What's funny about Sonny is that when he's good, he's very, very good, but when he's bad . . .I could kill him. Most mornings Sonny decides to rise and shine between 4:00 and 5:00 a.m. and he wants company. He scratches incessantly on the scratch pad hanging on the back door (three feet from my side of the bed) or turns on the radio to wake me for "our time." He's learned that if I catch him at either of these activities I'll throw him outside, so when he hears me throw back the sheet he accelerates from 0 to 65 mph to hide under the bed. There he waits until I settle back into a deep sleep when he starts this charming game again.
But this morning was different since he's adjusting to the time change like the rest of us. I woke with him still sleeping snuggled next to me and kissed his head and rubbed his ears and chin. I thought he would leap into action when I kicked the sheet off to get cool, but Sonny didn't flinch. Why? Because he was being very, very good and had nothing to fear.
"O LORD, You have searched me and You know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise; You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O LORD."
Psalm 139:1-4
"No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life.
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Joshua 1:5
"Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.
He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us,
and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
2 Corinthians 1:21-22
Lord, You have my undying love and devotion for taking this poor raggedy soul under Your wing with all my problems, stubbornness, and weaknesses only You understand. You pull me close, knowing everything there is to know: hidden abcesses from past wounds, blindness to my own weaknesses, diseases of selfishness and worry, even confusion about who I am in You. You cleanse, heal, refresh, rename, and renew. Thank You for never wanting to kill me out of sheer aggravation. Thank You that I have nothing to fear from You when I nestle next to Your heart. Help me be very, very good and stay as close to Your heart as possible. Strengthen me to fight my natural tendencies in order to please You, my Beloved Master and Lord. In the Name of Jesus Who longs to gather His flock together under His wings.
"So we make it our goal to please Him,
whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
2 Corinthians 5:9
"Therefore I do not fight like a man beating the air.
"Therefore I do not fight like a man beating the air.
No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:27
Inspired by Jesus Calling and My Utmost for His Highest
photo from photobucket. com but it looks a lot like Sonny!
I like how you related your relationship with your cat to our relationship with the Father. We can learn many lessons from animals.
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