Dog and Cat Followers of Christ

      Recently, I have acquired a dog.  I didn't expect this, but GOD knew I needed her.  I have always had cats, but never really had a dog for any length of time,  because I had a husband who hated dogs.  The husband left a few years ago, and GOD brought me a dog, not just for company, but to help me heal and give me some teachable moments. So, now having had both, cats and dogs, I've noticed a parallel between cats and dogs and Christians.    

      Some dogs are easily excitable and not terribly obedient.  They pull on their leashes, trying to pull their masters in the direction they want to go. They will jump all over anyone new, or bark incessantly  with the intent to scare the snot out of people who are unfamiliar to them.  Too many dog owners do not know how to train their dogs or have breeds that are not easily trainable.  

      The Lord saw fit this time that I should have a purebred German Shepherd, which is the most trainable and some would say, the most intelligent of all the species.  This type of dog will cling to one person in the household and become that person's shadow, following wherever their master goes, wanting always to please their master. All day long, she lays at my feet, patiently waiting for me to give her my attention.  Regardless of the time of day or night, when I whisper her name, the ears go up, she rises and waits to hear what is coming next with her tail wagging. 

       Although, she tends to pull a bit on her leash on our walks, when reprimanded, will slow down and walk right by my side, in step with me.  When I do let her run ahead, it's in a controlled environment, and she happily runs, free and beautiful in her stride.  The moment she gets too far ahead of me, though, she stops on her own, looks back to see where I am, and waits for me to catch up with her.  I don't have to tell her to stop, she does it automatically so that I am always in sight and close. 

Beloved, are you starting to see the parallel?  We pull on the leash that GOD has put on us, trying to rush ahead of His plan or drag Him along with the path we want to take.  He pulls back on the choker-collar, but we pull all the more, because we want what we want, and we haven't learned the self-control of just walking by His side.  The harder we pull, the more strangulated we become, and still, we insist on having our own way.

 Sometimes, we jump all over new believers or visitors in our churches or people who show even the slightest interest in learning about Jesus. Many times, we end up clawing them unintentionally, and they back off, deciding it's not for them.  Sometimes, we will bark at non-believers, with the intent to scare the "hell" out of them by being all hellfire and brimstone, letting them know all that they are doing wrong.  Many times we even attack each other and create dog fight after dog fight among the brethren, because we are "different" species. 

When we are properly trained, and that takes time, we learn to walk right by GOD's side, waiting for the go ahead to run up ahead of Him, happily making ground in a beautiful stride.  When we know that we've gone far enough, we will stop, turn back and make sure that GOD is still with us, and we will seek His permission to proceed or just walk by His side again for more instruction.  

       We are loyal to our Master, and when GOD is not moving, or so it seems, we lay quietly at his feet, until He says, "Hey, you want to go somewhere with Me?" Like my wonderful dog, day or night, regardless of the time, if I even whisper her name, she is up and ready to listen to whatever it is that I am going to do, either invite her up onto my bed for some company, or just to pet her where she is.  Those ears are up, waiting to hear from me while she patiently just lays there.       

 

JUBILEE

 Cats, well, they are a different story. They know where the food is, they know who their owner is and they will stay with their owner, but they are going to do their own thing no matter what.  They have this attitude that we are there to serve them.  My cats are extremely stubborn and when they get mad, they will do their business in  the house and not their litter box to let me know they are unhappy, stinking up my whole house and further ruining my twenty year old carpets.  

Three times my Jubilee has run away from me, staying out for weeks at a time with me having no idea where he was.  The last time, he got mad about going to the vet and he freaked and jumped out of my arms, escaping and getting lost in a neighborhood miles from home.  By the miraculous hand of GOD, almost six months later, we found him in a neighborhood very far away with the help of a friend who was delivering Chinese food.  

 I thought he was gone for good, but all that time, GOD knew he would be back, and He had a lesson for me to learn. This time, he was thrilled to be back, having had to weather the climate from December to June all alone outside.  While he was gone, he was trapped, neutered and released back in the neighborhood he was caught.  (It's a local program here to cut down on stray feral cats, without destroying the ones roaming the streets.) 

CopyCat with her first PERFECT 7

 When he did come home, he was a much more docile cat, much more affectionate, and he hasn't run away since. He meows at my door when he wants attention, and is compliant when it comes to the cat box and using the great out doors to do his business. He is still somewhat impatient and stubborn, wanting his own way, but, will cower down if he knows he's in trouble for bullying his grandmother, CopyCat, or even the dog.  Sadly, since writing this, over two years ago, Jubilee's grandmother passed away in July of that year, and Jubilee disappeared again in June 2019.  My heart is broken, but it's just another of the things GOD puts us through, and we can either pull on the leach, or just give it a little slack, while the LORD shows us which way to go. 

Need I say more, beloved child of GOD?  Which kind of lover of Yeshua are we? Are we a non-neutered male cat, or a docile one, somewhat compliant, but still doing our own thing?  Or, are we an excitable dog wanting to run ahead of GOD, or scare the "hell" out of the person passing by on the sidewalk? 

        If we have been walking with GOD for long, and we are truly interested in letting GOD be our Lord, the we will become a purebred, like my precious German Shepherd, trainable, compliant and a pure joy to our Master.