kitty kitty

i was never really into cats until little jimmy mcnulty came meowing into my life. but through this little furball that tears up my couch and tears through the apartment in a streak of ginger, i am learning about grace and care, sacrifice and love, in fresh ways.

i know, i know, he's just a cat. but sometimes, the unconditional love from a kitten makes everything better.

there's a poignant blog entry by daniel siedell about the death of his cat, sasha, after 20 years. it's a thoughtful reflection, deeper than mourning the loss of a pet. this observation by siedell particularly struck me:

I find that hope in the contours and trajectory of the Scriptures, which reveal the limitless surprises of God's grace. And I am heartened that it caught C.S. Lewis's attention as well, whose love of his life, Joy, had a house full of cats. Here is what he suggests. The very reason for creation itself is the overflowing of love that sloshes over the limits of the Trinitarian relationship of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The world is brought into this relationship, borne out of and sustained by divine love through the incarnation of the Son. It is God's love that saves. And Lewis speculates that it might be our love that saves the animals, namely, those domesticated animals that are the beneficiaries of our Christ-centered love. Our pets, Lewis suggests, grow into something more as they participate in our love, a love grounded in and through God's love, which is Christ. And that love, because it is God-like, is life-creating. And so, perhaps when Christ returns, and, according to Revelation of St. John, "makes all things new," animals who have been shaped in and through this human love will participate in what is made new. (Siedell)

the limitless surprises of God's grace...love that sloshes over..... i love that imagery. perhaps it may be wishful thinking to hope that our beloved pets will frolic in heaven. but what is certain is the boundless grace of God, the ways in which His love manifests in creation, touching our hearts and opening our eyes to His goodness daily. whether it is through His provisions, family and friends, or the purring of a kitty content in your lap, His grace is constantly sufficient as He continues to use all things to shape and mold our hardened hearts into the pumping, bleeding, living things He created and intended.

cups of coffee: 1, with soymilk

mood: tiiiiiiiired