August 31
Well… my kids have done it again.
Recently, my wife and I returned home from much-needed getaway only to discover that we had (apparently) welcomed a new family member into our home – a six-week-old kitten that the kids named, “Frosty.”
In the past, I relayed the account of how my kids came upon “Zoey” – the baby mouse they found suffering (and near death) in our driveway. Much to our surprise, the kids nursed “Zoey” back to health and that little mouse lived on – to delight and entertain us for three years (before passing peacefully in her sleep).
The story of “Frosty” is another sad tale of woe… The kids were driving home, turned a corner, and saw a tiny little kitty standing in the road. Afraid for his life, they parked the car and tried approaching the kitty – which caused the fearful kitten to turn tail and run into the tall weeds beside the road. The kids tried to entice the kitty to come to them. What worked was a bit of a Wendy’s frosty that was left over (now you know how “Frosty” got his name). “Frosty,” now captured, they all headed for home… to “survey his situation.”
It wasn’t good. He had ticks, was covered with fleas, and was obviously undernourished. But a bath, some tender loving care, and some food and “Frosty” quickly began to realize that our home wasn’t a bad place to be. In the days ahead we tried (half-heartedly) to find “Frosty” a home, but every door that seemed to open, closed just as quickly. Soon, it became fairly obvious – “Frosty” was going to be our family’s first ever kitty cat.
What I find most interesting is how quickly you can become attached to something that was (basically) someone’s throwaway. Someone had dumped a tiny little kitten alongside a road, because they didn’t want it – and left it to fend for itself in the wilds of nature. The odds of survival weren’t good (especially where kitties AND roads are involved [not to mention all the other wild animals in the area!]). It took another someone to take pity on a little kitty and make the effort to give that kitten a home (something “Frosty” could never have known on his own).
The spiritual parallels are also obvious.
In the eyes of this world, none of us are really worth any more than vagabond kittens. We are nothing but castoffs and throwaways. Just infested and scrawny creatures (because of sin). But a God of infinite love did not see us as we were – He saw us as we could be IF we could be gathered into His arms and brought into His Own home. He saw our value when we were without value. And acted accordingly…
The whole point of Jesus… was to reach out to all the “vagabond creatures” of this world and to bring them into direct contact with the infinite love of God. But, more than that… Jesus came so that we could be brought into God’s Own household – to live daily in His care and nurture, to know Him personally and intimately. To experience the wonder of His Person, up close and personal.
Who knows what would have become of “Frosty” if my kids had not reached out to bring him into their care.
Who knows what would have become of us if God had not done the same?
Prayer Focus: God, I thank You for reaching out to me… and for seeing me not as I was but as I could be… in the nurture of Your infinite love.
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