There were five long days and nights that our roaming kitty was missing, and when I say long, I mean long. I realize he's "just a cat", but boy is he a cat that tugs on my heart strings. He is so peculiar, cranky, and sometimes sweet (if he's asleep). He can only stand to be petted in short amounts, and soon after he thinks your hand is a toy. Speaking of toys, rarely will he play with them, however, he loves to use our furniture as a scratching post. Food, this cat can eat, and he really likes to eat. He likes to eat and sleep, and pretend this is his house, and he lets us live here. He hates being indoor (unless he's eating and sleeping). He would much prefer to roam and eat food at other human's houses. And even then, I still shed tears (a lot of tears) over this little turkey being gone. (Some of the above statements are slightly dramatized, and some are not... most are not.)
Most of the time he was gone, I kept thinking about the parable of the Prodigal Son, and people often brought it up to us. (When you love Jesus and have a roaming kitty, it's a logical connection.) And then I thought about my Savior, His amazing grace, and unconditional love. In our flesh, we often stray. There are so many distractions in this world. Social Media has absolutely transformed the world, along with the Internet of course. We have instant access to way too much information. (With that being said, Social Media isn't all terrible. It was a huge factor in our roaming kitty making his way home. Read below if you're interested in how he made it home. It's a pretty great story, in my opinion.) We're worried about finances, relationships, clothes, having the perfect farm house, sickness, etc. These are all concerns (minus the farm house desire I would imagine) people from the fall of man have experienced. We do have the distraction of the Internet, but we also have the amazing tool of the Internet. How incredible it is to be able to reach people with the Gospel in various ways because of the Internet. Ok, I totally got side tracked there. Anyway, we stray. And while this doesn't even compare, I just need y'all to know how much my heart hurt when our kitty was gone. I thought about him a LOT, and every time it hurt. God loves us so much. He loves us so much, He sent His Son to DIE for us. It doesn't make sense that He would do that. That totally goes against our culture. Why would someone sacrifice something important for the sake of others? Well, that's God in all His holiness. From the beginning, He knew we would sin, and still He prepared a way for us. He knew we would stray, and still He made a way. While our kitty was gone, it was freezing (literally it dropped below freezing two of the nights he was gone). He apparently went without food because he had dropped some weight during his adventure. And with those two rather large hardships, he chose to not come home. Why? I don't know he's a cat. He doesn't have human reasoning, however, have you, or do you know someone who has strayed away from the Lord and chose a life of hardships instead of one of comfort in His arms? (Now, being a Christian isn't always a bed of roses- there are hardships. The difference is facing them holding your Savior's hand, but that's for a later blog post.) When Windsor was gone, I kept wondering why on earth he would leave when he had everything he could imagine at our house. As much hurt as I felt over our kitty, I cannot imagine God's hurt when one of His children stray. And to think how amplified and multiplied that is seeing as He is the God of the universe, and He wishes that NONE would perish but all would come to everlasting life knowing Him as Savior. One of my favorite hymns is "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling". Silly I know, but as many times as I prayed for Windsor to come home, I often started singing this hymn. Isn't that God though? Softly and tenderly He calls us. And all He wants is a relationship with us. He doesn't want us to hurt. He doesn't want us to be miserable. Sin causes hurt and heartache, but how wonderful to know there is a cure to it all, and He is patiently waiting. I've watched so many people suffer in my short time on this earth. I've seen people turn to almost every option but God. They seek relationships, being liked, job success, alcohol, drugs, darkness, or they even choose bitterness (as if that gives us some sort of power over someone- not the case), to fill a God-sized hole. That's like trying to put a puzzle piece from a different puzzle. It won't fit. Those things truly never can satisfy. And so often I've wanted to look at people and scream why. Why choose this darkness over Light? But you know, I'm not them. I don't know their experiences, and while I may "know" them, I don't know them because I'm not them. And here's the truly beautiful part. God doesn't ask why. He just tells us to come home. Are you ready to hear about Windsor's arrival? We searched for days, and that kitty had been lifted up in prayer by so many people, and I am thankful for each one. We have a neighborhood app where people post various things in surrounding neighborhoods. Windsor is well known in our neighborhood, so we posted that he was missing. A sweet lady, from a nearby neighborhood, said she thought she saw him and would leave food out on her porch for him. She asked for our phone number so she could contact us if he did come back to her house. A few days later, she offered to post his information on her neighborhood Facebook page. She posted it, and someone said they saw him around 4:30 or 5:00. Then she said someone had just seen him. Then she texted us and said he was in her car. She happened to text us right as we turned down the street she was on. She jumped out, waved her arms, and so cheerfully reunited us with our roaming kitty. This sweet woman didn't know us from Adam, and we're quite certain she was driving around looking for him because she wasn't even near her house. We consider her a kitty hero, and a very kind one at that. She and her daughter even fed him treats once they got him. He was finally home. And boy was he smelly. I think he had been going through trash to search for food. But you know what, I didn't care. I was just glad he was home. God is much the same. When we come to His saving knowledge He no longer sees our sin, but He sees His Son. Which is just wow- amazing. He doesn't care about our smelliness. He just wants to restore us. While this whole thing was rather heart wrenching at times, it was also quite amazing. Our family, co-workers, and strangers on Social Media were so gracious to us. Everyone showed so much compassion. I said to someone that I felt silly being upset, and she reminded me that my kitty mattered to me, and I mattered to God, so it was important to Him too, and you know, that's the truth. I'm not sure if I entirely put into writing what was on my heart, but I'll leave ya with this. If you've gone astray, come home. Luke 11:15-32 11 And he said, A certain man had two sons: 12 And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. 13 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. 15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. 17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. 22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: 23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29 And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32 It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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