In another lifetime, I read/heard that the human brain is designed to seek patterns and connections. Once I learned that, two things happened. First, my brain started recognizing more patterns and connections in my world. Secondly, my spirit began to see the extent God will go to in order to make a connection with us, right here, right where we are.
Enter Maisie, our sixteen year old diva cat. Is that disdain, or death ray glare? I prefer to think of Maisie being incredibly tolerant to her house mates, sometimes more than others. (I think she was doing her Linda Blair stare, just to keep us on our toes.)
Tom was raised with cats, among other family pets. I wasn’t. I thought when we got our first cat he’d have more insights into the cat pysche . . . um, no. Maisie relies on, and usually appreciates, Tom’s attention to her food and box, but she’s definitely my cat. (Not surprising since we both need excessive amounts of stroking and pampering.)
Frequently, I have to remind Tom that Maisie is doing what cats do. You know like wailing and running around the house when the weather is shifting, or seemingly sleeping twenty plus hours a day. (If it works for lions, it surely must work for our diva.) And there are times when we both have to be reminded that cats have their own language.
Being a senior feline, perhaps we shouldn’t have been surprised at her recent box aversion issues. (a.k.a. “Are you paying attention?!?”) After Maisie leaving “gifts” by our bed twice in one week, Tom got his mad on at the cat, and I got on the Internet. Several sites described her irritating actions, suggesting her issue could be is constipation. (That’s right, Dear Reader, there’s not much sacred or too trivial on this site.) I tried connecting the dots to Tom, but he wasn’t exactly a willing listener.
Then I told him she’s communicating her need in the only language she has. Maisie’s probably frustrated, too, which only makes things worse. OUCH! That struck a little close to home.
Then next day I was reading a chapter in my current Joyce Meyer book, Hold On. The chapter was on expectations of ourselves and others. Since we are in a season of learning how to effectively communicate in a new language with someone in our lives, the chapter really jumped out at me.
As I reread the chapter, Maisie was in her usual spot during morning chair (quiet) time, sound asleep on the foot of our bed. I had to pause and let the connections between Maisie, Joyce’s book, and our situation sink in.
Most of Maisie’s waking hours are spent in contented companionship with me. If you’re a pet parent, you probably understand the comfort that can give. Then I thought about the articles regarding her tummy issue.
With a cord of kindness, God drew me to Maisie’s connection to communication with our dear one.
The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—
Proverbs 1:5
Dear Reader, maybe you don’t need me to tell you God loves you so much that He’ll even use a cat with box issues to speak to your heart. Perhaps all of your relationships are exceptionally fluent in communicating. And maybe, your world easily recognizes connections, and embeds them into your thinking. Or, like me, you praise God that He’s always in the mix, good or bad, or somewhere in the middle, holding on to us whenever we need Him.
Now, if you’ll pardon me, we’re off to the store to try and find canned pumpkin for Maisie. Bon apetite!
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