If you haven't noticed already, I love my animals. My first pets were two cats named Three and Four. (I had just learned to count that week.) My pets progressed to a rottweiler named Moe who lasted maybe a month before he ended up at the ominous Wal-mart. You see, this is where we took the pets who didn't quite fit in. Needless to say, a stray rottweiler puppy did not fit in with my baby brother and sister. Then came Wendy the black mutt who lasted only a few weeks longer than Moe, then Tumnus the grey cat. (I was reading the Chronicles of Narnia at this time.) Tumus was the proverbial "cat with nine lives". One winter he climbed up into the engine of a car, only to come out with three and a half paws. :( In our humanistic minds,one might say "Well he has every right to become a grumpy old cat!" But he was a real trooper. You'd never know the difference ten years later when he was still walking around, purring away. I do not have a memory of Tumnus in which he was not purring. Talk about a content cat! And he never met a dog he didn't like (or more importantly a dog that he provoked to chase him!). Rain or shine, black lab or shi tzu, Tumnus had learned the secret to contentment.
Similarly, our new addition to the family Aubri the cailco kitten has that same laid-back approach to life (though 90% of the time, we are convinced she is on Speed!). A few weeks ago her hyper-active lifestyle got her in a bit of trouble, but did that slow her down? Not one bit. Yes, she nearly lost her tail and spent two weeks in a cool whip container with stitches. But I'm quite convinced that the entire process was more painful for me than for her. "What if the vet cuts off her tail!? I can't believe she is in so much pain!" And blah blah blah, worry worry worry. Meanwhile, Aubri is pouncing on air, and yes, purring incessantly. I mean, she was on a streets just months ago; losing her tail is the least of her worries. Why is it easier for my cat to be content than it is for me!?
Ouch. Did you feel that twinge of conviction, too? As a culture and in our own personal lives we have lost that feeling of true contentment. How can we regain that peace??
Philippians 4:12-13
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Contentment is found in acknowledging God's sovereignty. Romans 8:28 says, "God causes all things to work together for the good of those He has called according to His purpose." EVERYTHING! Whether you working and would rather be at home, or are at home and would rather be working, God is working! Whether you're a city girl in the country or a country girl in the city, God is working! Through depression, and breakups, deaths, and discouragements, God is still God and He is working!
In fact, if things aren't going your way, get excited because that means you are not in control; Someone greater is! Only then can we claim Philippians 4:13 and then find true contentment.
I have realized after adopting Aubri that I am one of the very few cat lovers. But I hope you will still learn from the attitudes of Tumnus and Aubri.
Romans 8:28-30
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
