If you have ever owned a cat- wait, that is not right, let me start again… if you have ever been owned by a cat, then you know what a joyful addition this relationship can be to your life. When you become a cat parent, you willingly become a servant to a 10lb animal; you are willingly trained to respond to meows, trills, and kitty body language. In love, you provide scratch posts, toys, and play time for their contentment. In love, you provide good food, a clean litter box, and a safe environment for their health.
Proverbs 12:10a “The godly care for their animals…”
They are a big responsibility and an even bigger blessing. In addition to caring for and being entertained by our felines, we can also learn a lot from them; here are a few lessons that their precious lives teach us.
Relax, all will be taken care of by the One who owns you.
1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
Luke 12:22-29 “And he said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried.’”
If you need something, meow, I mean ask for it- and keep asking for it.
Luke 11:5-8 “And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.”
Go ahead and get some sleep, you will be protected, kept safe and sound, by your “parent”!
Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”
“Bathe” often, keeping yourself nice and clean.
Isaiah 1:16 “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,”
James 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
Be content and enjoy your life!
1 Timothy 6:6-8 “But godliness with contentment is great gain, or we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always,”
We can learn a lot from God’s creation, including the animals in it (Luke 12:24). So, let us follow the example of our cat friends today; stop and enjoy a nice long stretch, then take a peaceful nap in the sun, look outside and appreciate all of the beauty and activity in nature, and be content knowing that you are loved and well taken care of.
May we always be thankful to our God, who cares for all of the details (both big and small) and knows how to warm our hearts with His perfect gifts of love.
James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
P.S. I could not possibly write a cat blog without mentioning my fur baby, Mulligan (pretty little kitty in the picture). She is a treasured blessing, teaching me how to better love and care for another, filling my life with cuddles, purrs, and the occasional scratch or two (lol). Thank you God for my sweet girl!
Love in Christ,
Monica Ledford