yeowch

Totally Crookshanks

I've decided to adopt the furball. Funny really, how things turn out. There I was last Tuesday; finished my first exam and waiting in a fit of angst over the next one when.. 1) a turtle hurtles into my life 2) a kitten hurtles into my life 3) having owned neither before I felt a cross between a) chucking my exams out the window, nevermind failing the lot & b) unceremoniously shooing the animals away>_> Now, less than a week later, the turtle's gone - John took it back coz it just didn't belong. The kitten stays - & so much for thinking its all docile and gentle -which it is around (and only around) strangers. It's already figured out what it can get away with; it seems to think that the only function of my legs serves as either a scratching post or a rubbing post *hmph* It's also fussy. It would rather hold its stools in than let it out anywhere other than a proper cat litter, where it can bury it and be true to its catness. But despite all the odds, I love taking care of it. And one reason for that is because I find it easier to relate to God in many ways thru taking care of Crooks.

Before Crooks, everything outside food, gifts and the odd outing was an expense. Over the years, yes I've learnt to save really well. But I wasn't very good at spending, nor did I want to. And initially, I thought of the kit as a minimum 15 years worth of expense; yet reluctant as i was with all these thoughts + many others, the next few days wrought a huge change in my mindset. I started picking up on its ways of feeding and cleaning, etc etc. I constantly thought about ways to improve its health (mentally, physically -i think it stops here actually).. I worried that it might get hurt .. i wanted to follow its growth, enforce rules (for everyone's sake!) and make it feel completely loved.
Well that's pretty much how God wants to be with us isn't it? And slowly -yet quickly- it's informing us of its comfort zones. When i took it outside on the veranda, it jumped off and sniffed the door like it wanted to go back in. It's begun marking everything with its scent (by dabbing its paws onto objects) -in fact, it hates it when i go into the shower coz i'm washing its scent off and the moment i get out, it would dab its paws on me several times to 'scent' me again. It loves little hidey holes and prefers obstacles courses to toys.. so say i take it to the living room: rather than play with a toy or whatever, it would run around the piano, behind the couch, brush under the curtains, and explore like anything!

But having the cat has surfaced a trait in me that nobody likes: the control freak. I don't like people picking up kit too often coz its so young and has to be handled carefully. And when I mean people I really mean children. They can be so rough if you let them get away with it, and many a time I have caught myself losing it with Nathaniel for doing that to kit every 5 seconds. Of course nobody but mature cat lovers can sympathise with me on this point, of which I'm the only one in this house:O I feel so bad when i rebuke Nathaniel for handling the cat too often, I know he's just a kid and its part of their inquisitive nature to pick up anything and everything that's cute. But he's also a choleric -which means about 99% of the time, he thinks he knows best. How am I supposed to get my point across eh?? But then I think *well, no matter how bad my day gets, it can't possibly be worse than God's, who has to deal with over 6 billion souls, each with their endless problems, their pains to heal*.. and then i realise that God takes pleasure in healing his saints and that our problems become his testimonies.. so I loosen up and see the situation in its positive sphere.. see how kit has actually brought God and me closer? There are many other parallels i can draw here but I think i've written enough right now..

The key things I've learn is that.. 1) God knows what you're capable of even when you don't and sometimes He will throw you into the thick of it to prove just that -i didn't realise i could take care of a kitten and actually enjoy it, with no prior experience, during my exams!!! 2) "It's easier to resist at the beginning than at the end" -Leonardo Da Vinci 3) There are traits you don't realise you have that God might want you to fix or work on, example: *bad point* control freak *good point* mothering nature - that i thought was non existant 4) kittens can bring a smile to just about anyone. Which can only be, a good thing:)

posted by "/umin @ 5:24 AM