We looked for online for weeks, and almost got a couple of kittens. Then John found a long-haired black and white cat and we decided to go have a look at her. It only took about 2 seconds for me to decide this was would be my cat. She purred and flirted and twirled around as soon as I started scratching her head. Done deal!
The very next day, as I carried her outside for a photo shoot, our 70 pound dog walked up to check her out. The cat wanted nothing to do with such an introduction. She bolted out of my arms and within seconds had disappeared into the woods. Instantly my heart sank to the floor. Animals get confused when they first move to a new place, and usually start heading "home" since they do not consider the new place to be home yet. They rarely come back. I felt like such a fool for taking her outside, and I knew I could never forgive myself. This was not acceptable. It felt like we were losing Fig all over again, and I just couldn't take it. I gave up all hope of getting her back. I didn't even want to look for her.
John had more faith, and while I was out doing errands, he kept looking and looking and went around to all the neighbors asking if they had seen her. He sat in the yard for hours waiting for her to come home. Later that night I went to my Bible study. We prayed for her, and feeling a little encouraged, I prayed on the way home. Let me re-phrase that. I prayed my GUTS out ALL the way home.
I basically had a heart-to-heart with God, reasoning with him and pleading with him. By the time I got home from my hour long commute, I had come to believe that God would bring her back, unless there was a really good reason not to. My faith took a 180, from knowing I WOULD NOT find her to knowing that I WOULD find her.
Those eyes. This cat has the most glowing eyes I have ever seen. That's it! I would take a flashlight out and look around the yard until her eyes lit up. As soon as I got home, I raced out the door, flashlight, tuna and treats in hand, calling "Pwrrrttt, pwrrttt, here kitty, kitty, kitty" and believing every second that I would find her. It's amazing how faith that something will happen changes your actions, and your whole attitude.
I searched the east side of yard first, then the front, down the creek and over to the woods. Then I went in the back, inside the fence, around the woods, and there she was. She let out a little, "Mew" when she saw me. "There you are sweetheart!," I answered back.
But she ran from me.
What? You prefer the cold, dark, rainy woods, with no chance of eating, but a great chance of being eaten? You prefer that to the safety of my arms, where I will take you into a warm dry house, feed you good food and clean water, and give you all the attention you could ever want? If she only knew how much I loved her. She would have come running to me. But to her I was still a stranger.
She slipped through a hole in our 4 foot high cattle fence, and I had no choice but to climb over after her. She continued to walk away from me. I dropped to the ground and started praying and pleading with God to tell her it was ok to come to me. As I prayed, she started to come towards me, and after a couple of tries, I was able to grab her.
She was in my arms now, but we were not out of the woods yet, literally! I was now on the OUTSIDE of our fence, holding onto a cat for dear life, and would have to walk all the way around the outside of the fence, in the dark, braving slippery rocks, spider webs, and thorn bushes before getting back to safety. But failure was not an option! I would get this cat home, even if it meant breaking a limb or losing blood. I loved her so much, that any sacrifice required of me seemed completely trivial. I was overjoyed that I had found her and nothing could stop me from bringing her home.
We made it back into the house, and she is still with us to this day. We are thankful every day for this small but meaningful gift God has placed in our lives.
As I was carrying her home that night, I was reminded of what Jesus went through for us. We were strangers when he called us, sinners, running from him, because we didn't understand that what he offered was safety and warmth. We ran from him, but he went after us anyway, and he willingly, joyfully sacrificed himself, because of his great love.
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"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4)
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