I often read people teaching us to be thankful to God for everything that comes your way, even things you hate. For example Corrie ten Boom, while she was in the concentration camp she complained about the fleas and her sister told her to thank God for them. Corrie didn’t understand why then, but later on she found out the fleas did in a strange way, protected them from the guards. It turned out that they were allowed to get away with teaching the Gospel in their barracks, because the guards were too afraid to go in there, because of the fleas. God has a plan up His sleeve that He doesn’t tell you straight away, but if you obey Him, it will all eventually unfold and you will see clearly His infinite wisdom. I use to hate and dreaded my earthly father words ‘you will thank me one day.’ I use to think ‘no way am I going to thank you one day.’ Of course now I understand where he was coming from and I have to admit that I do now thank him.

Where I live is on the outskirts of a town and across the road from me there is open space. So I can look out and see kangaroos and cattle grazing on the land. I so wish I was living in the bush. I thank God for this little open field I can look out every day from my front door, it is the next best thing, to living in the bush. God has placed me here for a reason, I always known that. When it rains heavy I use to have great problem with field mice. Without fail they would turn up after rain. And I use to use natural remedies to get rid of them and it did work after a long time. Then it would rain again and this time the natural remedies were not working. So I desperately asked God why? Have I done something to displease You? I was trying to be grateful, but it isn’t really in my nature when I think things are out of my control. You can see right there what God was trying to teach me.

 In desperation after praying about it, I turned to the internet for suggestions and one person said get a cat. I have never been a cat lover. I always preferred dogs ever since I can remember. So I wasn’t that keen on the idea. The things you do when you are desperate enough. I asked a friend if she knew somebody who was giving away kittens and she said she knew of a place and she would get one for me. Then later on the day I texted her and asked her if she would get two for me, to make sure the mice will have double trouble and so she did. These kittens were half feral.  

So I had to trained them to trust and like me and on top of that I had an hysterical dog that wanted to play with them and of course the kittens were terrified of him and the other dog who is a real mummies girl, was not pleased with the two new additions in the household and wanted to kill them both, the moment she had a chance. So there was a lot of training to do on all four animals. After three weeks I was desperate again, because I was really beginning to think Mindy the dog that hated them would never ever accept them. I asked God to give her a change of heart. I think it only took two days later, I was then able to take Mindy of the leash, because she then decided she would tolerate them, which is better than nothing. Things eventually sorted out and then about five months down the track, the dog next door killed one of my cats. By this time I am extremely attached to him and I was feeling very sorry for myself and I was so surprised how long it took to get over him. (I never really totally ever get over my animals.) By now I love cats just as much as I love dogs. I would never thought it possible.  

I then decided to keep Persey the other cat, to stay indoors so as to make sure nothing happens to him. After about four months later I can see that Persey was in a real need of a cat friend. His brother and he were really close. So I wasn’t sure what to do, so I asked Jesus if He would give me permission to get another kitten for Persey. Straight away Jesus appeared so happy and to let me know he was overjoyed for me to get another kitten. So I went searching for one on the internet and found one in the RSPCA, where the unwanted animals go, in the hope of a home. Now I have a fear of driving outside of my town. Because I wanted this kitten so much I asked another friend if she would come with me. To get to this place I have to travel on a high way that I hate, because nobody is polite these days, but I did and I did it well. So I had to overcome one of my major fears before I could get her and she is so beautiful and worth every bit of sacrifice.  

Remember Jesus was so happy to let me have her. Guess what kind of kitten He has chosen for me? A real rascal! She gets up to more mischief then the two boys ever did. Now don’t you think God is teaching me something here? God doesn’t always choose what makes you comfortable. Persey now accepts her, it only took a day and now he is as thick with her as he was with his brother. They are great friends. And there is no mice still.  

God was in-charge the whole time and had a very sneaky plan for me to find His love through His creation of Cats. Dogs have taught me so much and I am still very much a dog lover. Cats are so different and they have different things to offer. The way they show their love for you is so different. Cats are a lot more sociable than I ever thought. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. All through my childhood we had more cats than dogs, but I never knew this about them. The thing I love about domestic animals and very young children, they just pour out their love for you and I see a little of God’s love, loving me through them.  

I actually had something else in mind to write when I started writing this article, but it seems God had other plans as He often does.