There’s a saying that God didn’t play fair when he made puppies, kittens and babies. There’s some truth in it, for who doesn’t love them? Even baby warthogs are cute and cuddly to a mama warthog. It makes people want to care for them, which is a big responsibility. Caring for children is the biggest job of all, and most parents love their children unconditionally (except possibly for the teenage years).  

 
 These thoughts came to mind this week, because we had to have our cat, Miss Callie Otis, put to sleep, and I remembered how we came to get her. It was the late summer of 2001 and she and her kittens had been abandoned way out in the country near the home of our friends. She had brought her kittens into their yard, and they were trying to get them adopted. We went out there with the intention of adopting one of her kittens, and indeed God hadn’t played fair; they were beautiful. When we saw first saw her she was somewhat attractive, but looked unkempt and worn (our vet estimated that she was two or three years old at the time). The kittens were so cute and loveable that we knew they would be adopted, so we decided to adopt her instead. She was a longhair calico, and after a few weeks of rest and nutritious food she was absolutely beautiful (and seemed to know it). About a year and a half ago she started to decline, and the vet said she had diabetes and kidney failure. This past year we gave her twice daily insulin injection and a special diet for kidney disease. She improved for a while, but eventually her condition deteriorated until there was nothing that could be done. We miss her.

 As the Pope recently said, “God loves all His creatures.” In Matthew 6:26 we read, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Again in Luke 12:6-7 we read, “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” These tell us that God loves animals (and we should also), but He loves us even more. He loves us even if we’re not cute like puppies, kittens or babies, and He loves us even when we act like rebellious teenagers. To see how much, read Romans 5:6-10 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%205:6-10