Lessons from Grief for a Cat

I will miss Chilli!

How is it that we get attached to animals?

I had to "put our cat down" today because he had an aggressive form of bone cancer. He was given the injection and went quietly - just kind-of laid his head down and went to sleep.

I cried.

Why? What was it about an animal that I felt attached to and required some kind of grief?

Why can I walk into the woods with a Bow, stalk a defenseless deer, sight it in my sights and let an arrow fly at it to kill it, and not cry over it? What's the difference between that animal (the deer) and the other animal (the cat)? Why or how did I become emotionally attached to an animal?

Why do we not feel the same way about other animals or even other people?

Someone told me that it was because we are not emotionally attached to other people or animals. How did I get attached? Was it because I felt he (the cat) talked to me? Was it because I talked to him? Was it because he was dependent on me for care? That he required me in order to live so I gave of myself thus forming a bond that required tears to heal the wound made when the bond was severed?

The Bible talks about us caring for one another. Do I ignore this command because I don't want to become attached to others and have to grieve over a potential severing of the relationship? How would our lives be different if we cared for each other as much as I cared for this cat?

I cared for this animal, protected it, cuddled it, played with it, enjoyed it. And the result? I became attached to it. God created me, protects me, comforts me, enjoys me. He's attached to me. How much more does He grieve when one of His creation walks away from Him?

Chilli depended on me - did he know that? Do I know how much I depend on God? I had control over the cat's life and when he was in too much pain and not able to recover from his cancer I made the decision to end his life. It hurt me to do that. How much more does it hurt God to have to correct us so that we can be all He planned?

I will miss my cat. But I have no doubt that I will see him again and enjoy his company. The Bible says that all of creation groans for the return of Jesus - not just humanity - all of creation will benefit.

God is Good!

The Diversity Culture

What a great book! I recommend this book for anyone who might want to figure out how to talk with people who are "different" from them but primarily for those who call themselves Christians and want to have a positive - God-focused influence on those outside their Christian circles.
The author ties Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman with an encounter the "average" church-going person might have in a "post-modern" cafe.
What an excellent job of creating a story where Biblical principles can come to bear on how we interact with each other outside of the standard church event.
When people have asked me how to talk about Jesus to their friends and co-workers, I've shared methods that I've learned over the years but, until recently, rarely did I suggest that they listen to their friend's story before bringing the Gospel to bear on their need.
The author demonstrates how Jesus heard beyond the culture the Samaritan woman exhibited and was able to meet her where she really needed Him. He then builds principles that we can utilize today if we really care for those who are without Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
The simple idea is that everyone has a story, everyone has a need, and everyone has a mask. How then do we hear, meet needs, and share Jesus? It's up to us (Christ followers) to learn how to take steps to be given an ear to share the truth found in God's Word. We must get outside our Christian bubbles and meet people on their level and be able to hear their stories and questions so that we can give direct and focused answers to their earnest questions.
The best chapter in this book (in my opinion) is chapter nine (9). This chapter was the "ah-ha - I get it" chapter for me. The author talks about two styles of conversation- ideological and relational. Ideological involves a debate-style attack where the opponents try to get points for making better arguments. This style is characterized by attack, defense, and spin (page 122). The relational style is characterized by trust, openness and risk (page 123) and the risk is often taken first by the one opening up the conversation but is reciprocated by the one answering or entering into the conversation.
Ideological conversation most often says: I don't care about you - I just want to make my point. Relational conversation, on the other hand says: I care about you - my point is less than the health and authenticity of our relationship - you matter to me.
Get this book (or borrow mine) and let's talk.