Gritting My Teeth Over: Being Too Sick to Write... Again

Same old same old.

Go. Play. See Russia.

Gritting My Teeth Over: Cats

Hi. My name is Anita and I hate cats.

Even the people who own cats are a little strange, right? Why two cats appeared in my home last fall is *cough* totally beyond me. I hate cats.

Josie and Simone are twin sisters, litter mates and best friends. Simone, the larger one constantly schemes on behalf of her smaller, and faster, sister.

Do not expect cats to come romping to the door to greet you after a rough day's work. Instead, expect to find that they have stepped on, and turned on, the control to your electric blanket and are upset that you have interrupted their nice warm nap.

They wake up at 3:00 a.m. to meow their report about the litter box being full and the food dish being empty. These are important things for humans to know in the dead of night. I hate cats.

Josie does not have the time to cover her messes in the litter box. Simone takes care of it all. Last night when the litter was fresh and new, Simone snuggled down on the mountain of sweet scented clay and refused to allow her sister entry to the box. But when Josie cried, the larger cat scooped a paw full of litter onto the floor and then Josie positioned herself over the litter on the floor and, OH, I hate cats.

I'm not real fond of some people, either. The Holy Spirit who dwells in my heart assures me that this one woman is my sister in Christ.

"You don't understand, Lord. She don't even try to cover up her messes. She is the biggest pain in my..."

You just don't know. Prosperity theology. If she doesn't deceive others to gain a better life, "God has not blessed me." There's no convincing her otherwise. She's my sister, a member of the body of Christ.

Okay. Well, maybe I don't hate THESE cats. Maybe I will clean the litter box one more time. Maybe I will buy sardines and let all three of us settle down for a snack in the evening.

Maybe I will be patient one more day with my sister in Christ, but Lord, I'll buy a second litter box for your cats. Will you please provide a better home for my sister?

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 (NIV).