Cali, Her Kittens, and The Lord
by Karla Maxwell
Well, I never thought I would hear from the Lord by talking to a cat, but…. I did, lol. I live in a rural community, and my home has become a haven for cats; not by choice, they just seem to be drawn to us by some unforeseeable force of great magnitude. Years ago, the unforeseeable force of great magnitude brought us stray dogs. Thank goodness we do not have that still going on. For now, we have cats, cats, and more cats, and most of them have names. And for the record, I know there is no unforeseeable force of great magnitude drawing these creatures to my home… or is there??
We have over 20, yes over 20, cats right now. One mama cat had fourteen babies before we could catch her. Then another mama cat brought her seven babies to our house from another house that does not have the unforeseeable force of great magnitude for drawing cats. Two stray males, Mike and Steve, showed up (no big deal because they cannot have babies). But then.... Cali, a beautiful, street-smart and elusive Calico showed up.
Needless to say Cali and Mike have five babies almost two months old. Two kittens are NOT scaredy-cats AT ALL, one is semi-scared who is becoming more brave every day, one is scared unless Cali is around, and the fifth is constantly hiding because he is a COMPLETE scaredy-cat.
One morning I was out looking for the scaredy-cat so I could hold him and get him used to people. I could not find him in any of his hiding places, so I just told him, “If you only knew how much we love you, you wouldn’t be afraid.” The Lord immediately said to me, “If people only knew how much I love them, they wouldn’t be afraid.” Wow! That is so true. The Lord loves us so much! He wants all of mankind with Him for eternity, yet man denies His love, or even denies He exists. The view of God is so warped and misguided by so many, they do not know the Truth. If people only knew…. That resonated with me for the rest of the day.
That same day, the Lord showed me something else while I observed Cali. I can tell by her actions Cali wants to be petted, but she will not allow anyone within arm’s reach because she is so afraid. She talks to you, comes running when she sees you, rubs her face on whatever object is closest to her (even another cat), yet she will not let any person get close enough to even touch her with their fingertips. She stays in her comfort zone and runs when that comfort zone is “compromised”. People, both Christian and non-Christian, are the same way. We talk to the Lord asking Him for our prayers to be answered, yet we keep our distance at a comfort level that suits us. When the Lord attempts to draw us to Him, many people run out of fear or rebellion. His greatest desire is a personal relationship with us, His most prized creation. If we only knew how much He loves us.
Cali has a baby girl we call Cali J (J is my female version of Jr.) because she looks just like her mama. Cali J is bold. She has no fear. She has been seen eating the adult cat food on the tall workbench table with all the adult cats. She does not let the facts that the other cats are 10x her size, or that she has to climb 3 ½ feet off the ground just to get to the food, stand in her way. In her eyes, she is just as big. Her attitude—I came, I saw, I conquered, just like David conquered Goliath. Holy Spirit gives us the strength, courage, and abilities we need to navigate through our daily lives and be used for His glory if we allow Him.
The semi-scared kitten that becomes braver everyday is my reminder that when we stay focused on the Lord, we will continue to spiritually grow, which is so vital during these unprecedented times. There is a monumental shift taking place in the spirit realm. The battle between good and evil is ramping up as never known before. For the first time in American history, the persecution of Christians is evident in our great land that was founded on Christian values with the desire to worship our Lord and Savior according to His will. If the Church does not stand up, does not increase in strength, it is inevitable our rights as Christians will be taken away, and church gatherings deemed as a threat to society.
For the kitten that is scared unless she is with her mama, it serves to say we have no reason to fear because we, as believers and followers of Christ, have Holy Spirit with us wherever we go. He is there fighting our battles when we trust Him, He keeps us safe, He guides us where we should go. He is our Comforter, Healer, Provider, and we can rest in His arms knowing all is well even in these difficult times.
I long for the day that I can have a relationship with Cali and her kittens, not just an acquaintanceship; a relationship where they can rest in my arms and feel safe. Oh, how the Lord longs for a relationship with EACH OF US, not just an acquaintanceship, but a deep meaningful relationship where He can hold us, talk with us, love us… but we cannot keep running from Him. Be bold like Cali J. Do not let fear or doubt overtake you like it overtakes my scaredy-cat that runs away. Know the Lord loves you more than you will ever know. He is WHO and WHAT the world needs. The world is running scared now, looking for a safe haven. Will you show them the way?
To God be the Glory!
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