"HEAVEN'S CAT"

Some people believe cats are angels with whiskers. They also believe people who do not like cats must have been a mouse in an earlier life.

Although cats are not mentioned per se in God’s Good Book, cat lovers will argue they are because they belong to the feline family and the lion is considered at the top of the feline food chain which the Bible describes lions as courage, power and royalty.

Cats also are one of the most numerous objects of superstitions; considered good luck, bad luck and everything in between. Superstitions about cats abound in every culture ranging from stealing your baby’s breath to predicting the weather.

Cats, especially poly-dactyl cats (extra toes) are considered take it to the bank lucky. Many nationalities believe a sneezing cat is extra good luck, especially if the cat sneezes on your wedding day.

There is an American old west superstition about one-eyed cats and wishes. If you see a one-eyed cat, spit on your thumb and stamp it in the palm of your hand. If you then make a wish, it will come true.

Five year old Sofi wished for a kitten but her mother Peggy was one of those who didn’t like cats and thought they were bad luck. After the umpteenth time of her mother saying “no” Sofi started praying morning, noon and night for God to send her a kitten from Heaven.

Twenty nine year old Lucas, the new youth minister was a wannabe gardener trying to grow a backyard full of tomatoes, onions, garlic and cayenne peppers. At the back of the garden, Lucas had recently planted a sweet cherry tree.

Lucas was watering his garden one morning and heard a repeated meowing. A kitten had climbed up his new cherry tree and was afraid to come down. Lucas tried to coax the kitten down but no soap. The tree was seven foot high but it was still a young tree and would not hold Lucas so he couldn’t climb it to rescue the kitten. Lucas tried milk, then tuna and still the kitten would not budge.

Lucas got a rope and tied it to the cherry tree then tied the other end to his front bumper. Backing up slowly, Lucas was bending the tree down ever so slowly so he could reach up and get the kitten. Ever few feet, Lucas would get out to see if he could reach then kitten. But on the third time backing up, the rope broke.

The cherry tree went boing going erect and the kitten sailed through the air. Lucas got out of his truck and started looking for the kitten but was nowhere in sight. Lucas felt lower than a gopher hole. He went walking all over the neighborhood asking everyone if they had seen the kitten. Not a soul had seen the poor kitten so Lucas walked back to his house and stopped at his driveway. Bowing his head, Lucas prayed; “Lord, I tried to rescue the kitten but all I can do now is ask You to keep it safe.”

Several days later, Lucas was at the grocery store, and he ran into Peggy, one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart, and he was amazed to see cat food. Knowing she hated cats, he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?"

Peggy replied; "You won't believe this," and told him how her little girl Sofi had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the girl had begged again, and so the Mom finally told her little girl; "Well, if God gives you a cat from heaven, I'll let you keep it."

She told the pastor, "I watched my little girl go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a kitty cat. Minister, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws spread out, and landed right in front of Sofi! I swear to you! Lucas just grinned.

Since Lucas prayed for the kitten to be safe and Sofi prayed for a kitten, did God connect the prayer dots?

Communicating with God is the backbone of our Christian walk and service so it is immensely important to know how to pray. We must understand there is not any “magic formula” to praying. Some people believe if they do not say the right words or pray in a certain position then God will not hear and answer their prayer. This is completely non-biblical. God does not answer our prayers based on when we pray, where we are, what position our body is in, or in what order we word our prayers. God’s Good Book tells us we should pray thankfully and confidently to God and not be anxious. (1 John 5:14-15, John 14:13-14, Philippians 4:6-7)

When the Apostles asked Jesus when, where and how to pray, Jesus taught them to pray to the Heavenly Father. Some people think that is splitting hairs but sans the fact Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father, think of it as turning on the light. You go to a switch that sends an electric current through a wire to the bulb. All three—the switch, the wire and the bulb—produce a single light. It is the same with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is one, but all three persons.

God is the Master at picking the right time! Whether it be a precious memory of a Thanksgiving at grandma’s or a Bible verse jumping out at us in a time of need or the answer to our prayers, God knows the right time…..every time!

Not only is God the Master at knowing the right time, He gives us a promise to do so without exception when He states; “At just the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen."(Isaiah 60:22)

Most of us do not do well waiting on God to answer our prayers. In fact, it rattles most us of to the point we think a seven course meal is possum and a six pack of Bud. Yes, we feel like chewed twine when our prayers aren't getting higher than the attic or God is taking a siesta because we need His help and answers on our dime.

Because some of us think walking with Jesus means an endless series of miracles, burning bushes, still, small voices, warm fuzzies, and sensations of peace that pass all understanding we assume silence from Heaven means something has gone wrong like God has told us to kick rocks or the worst - He has voided our Pearly Gates pass.

We need to remember we are in the company of A-List Saints when God doesn’t seem to be taking our calls. No doubt Abraham didn’t think God’s silence for 13 years was golden. Or, Mother Teresa’s agony of God being silent for forty years. Or, like Gideon when he thought God turned on the mute button and was firing questions at God after he got blindsided by the Midianites pleading; "Please, my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13)

Yep, we assume that silence from Heaven means something has gone wrong, that the inability to “feel” God’s Spirit means God has turned His face away. But this is not what God’s Word tells us. His apparent silence is, in fact, an important part of how He works in our lives and teaches us to be the men and women of faith He wants us to be.

Rest easy saints, God’s silence doesn’t mean He is mad at us or the prayer was so greedy and self centered He ignored it altogether. Nor does it mean we have exceeded our limit of three per household. Sometimes, God wants us to make a case and reason together about our prayer requests. (Isaiah 1:18, Isaiah 43:25) Sometimes, it just isn’t the “right time.” Most of all, believe God wants to and will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4), whether it is the same day for a Heavenly cat or forty years for a land of milk and honey.

Father God, thank You for prayer. Thank you for the freedom of choice we can talk to You anytime, anywhere at any place. Thank You for knowing the right time and assure us during those times of silence, You are never absent. Let us never hesitate to ask someone to “Pray With Me” and remind us a successful prayer consists of knee-mail with mustard seed faith and believing You will make it come to be!