Wisdom from my cat November 4, 2008

Mr. Kitty Bubba Sleeping in Warm Laundry

      Do any of you have pets like me? You know the ones that I like to refer to as “momma’s boys.” Let me elaborate a bit. I have two cat children- one calm, one not so calm. But both very smart! Skilled in entertainment center climbing, garbage rummaging, the fine art of hairball creation, blanket hogging, pillow stealing, and knowing when Barry or I have pulled into the parking lot. In case your not aware we live on the 5th floor of a condominium with interior hallways. My cat knows when we pull in or when I step out of the elevator and he’s waiting for me at the door with his less hyper comrade.

     This weird ability was discovered in our first year of marriage when Barry was watching a game and I came home. The cat got up off his lap, went to the door that faces our hallway, and sat there crying. Two minutes later there I am. He knew it was me! We laughed at how smart he is in distinguishing when it’s us or when it’s just one of the other 146 owners here. Crazy huh?! He knows me, his mommy, over all the other neighbors and visitors. Isn’t that cool!?!

     Today I wanted to talk about the story of the Shepherd & His Sheep from John 10:1-21. In this story Jesus is telling the listeners about the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep. He explains…

4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.  5 They won’t follow a stranger, they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.

     What do you think about that? His sheep know His voice! How well tuned in are we to our Shepherds voice? Can we distinguish him from the thief and robber? Do we even stop to listen for him often or just when a crisis hits? I haven’t always been so good at listening for His voice. Many times in my life I just listened to what I selfishly wanted and ran with it. Only to be found compromised.

     When I read this story yesterday I immediately thought of Kitty Bubba (my lil’ guy) and how he listens for only Barry or I- mostly me. Kitty Bubba won’t come for strangers or even get near a stranger unless he sees me giving him the okay. He trusts me and knows my voice. Of course, He takes after his human mother and doesn’t always listen to my  No’s and don’t do that’s.

     I hope as time goes by that we all will be so incredibly tuned in to the voice of our Lord that we won’t even miss a sneeze! (Hmmm…Does God sneeze?) I want to know my Lord, His Presence, His Voice, His Desires above all the other noise in my head!

     We know where this story goes don’t we…. The Shepherd became the spotless Lamb nailed to a cross. He became sin so that we could become sinless. His blood paid the full price and redeemed us. Now His Holy Spirit wants to clean the wax out of our ears and remove the scales from our eyes! Hallelujah!

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

This is just one of many lesson’s I’ve learned from my cat.