SASSY, THE FEISTY KITTEN

"He will quiet you with His love,..."  Zephaniah 3:17b

      Someone has said that love makes the world go 'round'.  The Bible says, "God is love."  It all sounds very simple.  You may be thinking, what's the big deal?  What is there to say on the subject of love?

      If you were raised by loving parents, love was an automatic response, like breathing in and breathing out.  If you were lucky enough to have loving parents, you cannot comprehend the possibility of there being a barrier to receiving love.  The thought is totally alien to your mindset.

      Unfortunately, our society is riddled with countless numbers of people, in all walks of life, who were starved for affection while growing up.   It has been said that an infant can die if it does not receive affectionate touches from loving hands. Some people have come from homes which appeared to be 'loving', although, in actuality, bore no resemblance to a normal home where love abounds.

      I fit in the category of 'starved for affection' having been abandoned by my parents and raised in an orphanage.  Oh, how I missed not having a mama and daddy to love me.  So I retreated to a pretend world where I tried to be good so people would love me.  It never worked, I suppose, because I was too imaginative and too much of a rebel.

      It never ceases to amaze me what God uses to bring to light certain truths about ourselves.  Take this adorable calico kitten I decided to tame into a loving house cat.

      My grandson Eric said, "Why don't you name her Sassy?  Then you would have a dog named Chance, and a cat named Sassy after the animals in the movie Homeward bound.  All you would need is a dog named Shadow."  I replied, "We absolutely do not need another dog around here."

      Eric and his brother Tyler had given Grandpa a male pup from their Keeshound Sheba, and named him Chance.  He became a terrific watch dog, barking at everything that moved with never-ending enthusiasm.  One dog was definitely enough!

      So my grandsons named this darling calico kitten Sassy, though she bore no resemblance to the cat in the movie. She would race through the house, and with flying leaps, swing from the curtains like a trapeze artist.

      I tried many times to hold her and pet her, but Sassy only wanted to wrestle and fight.  Tiger would have been a more suitable name because this kitten definitely did not want to be loved.  I was so disappointed.  Disgustedly, I said, "R.J. will you put up that "free kittens" sign?"  I did not want a feisty, wild cat as a house pet.  Several days went by and no one asked to see Sassy.

      Then one morning, as I was praying, the Lord said, "You are a lot like Sassy.  You won't let anyone get too close because you don't know how to handle affection."  I answered "Oh Lord, it's true.  I am always afraid they will abandon me, just like my mother and daddy did.  Or, they might abuse me."

      These are real fears, not imaginary, based on painful experiences which happened throughout my life.  I decided that God revealed this to me for my good, even though it didn't sound very encouraging.  I know God is able to heal me of all my fears.  I am equally sure God will bring about my healing in His perfect timing.

      Learning to fully trust God is a prerequisite to becoming whole.  Also, this is, in my opinion, a lifelong process, no shortcuts; no detours.  I no longer want to be like Sassy, always running away from the slightest gesture of love.  As I grow spiritually and learn to trust God, my fears should diminish.  I choose to believe God loves me unconditionally.  Then God's love will flow out from me to others.

      After a few days, a young man came and asked to see the kitten.  With a twinge of sadness, I handed Sassy to him saying, "This is a very feisty kitten.  She might tear your house apart."  As the young man carried Sassy to his truck he said, "We will bring her back to see you when she is grown."

      After they left, I said, "R.J., I'm not certain I want to see Sassy again."

      However, it is unlikely that I will forget what God revealed to me through this feisty calico kitten concerning my inability to open my heart to love.

      I am not discouraged.  Confidently, I look forward to the day when I will not be afraid to share my home and my love with a kitten.