Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label animals. Show all posts

Isn't He lovely?

 



So Tuesday was a sad day for us all. My sister and son had a lovely black cat called Missy. After weeks of expensive vet trips and medications that didn't help, it became obvious that she had succumbed to cancer and  needed to be put to sleep.

Those of you who love a cat or dog know that they become family and the bond when broken hurts so much. There is much grief. 

Even knowing that you have done your best for the animal doesn't really assauge the grief, so I suggested they get another cat as soon as possible. The problem with that is that most cats from a rescue shelter cost a lot of money and they had used their rent money on Missy.

Free cats aren't readily available anymore and my son badly wanted another cat. I suggested we pray about it. We prayed that God would lead us to a new cat who needed the love and spoiling that he and my sister could give... and at the right price...

We didn't have to wait long. A lady in the suburb next to us saw their FB group post for a free cat to be loved and private messaged them.

It turns out that the previous tenants left their cat when they vacated, and she had been feeding it. She couldn't keep it as she already has a cat who doesn't like not being 'top cat'. She had been praying for someone to want it!

So as I speak, this cat should already be in her/his forever home. They are not sure of the gender but my son and sister don't care. They will get it neutered in due course.

As I wait to hear about the cat and maybe see it in a few days, I marvel at the speed that God answered our prayers.... My sister and son, Chris and I and this lovely kind lady who prayed for it as well.

I am once more amazed that we love and serve a magnificent God Who cares about everything in our lives, both large and small. He has created love, for He is Love and He has demonstrated great compassion for all people and creatures...

I can hardly wait to see this cat blossom as it's loved...and to return the love to them. 

Happy endings always make me glad and I am in awe of our wonderful LORD. Loving. Compassionate. Gracious. Good. Isn't He lovely? 



 © Glenys Robyn Hicks



Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. -Matthew 10:29-31

Loving all creatures.

 

Over the years I have come to believe that a lot can be gleaned about a person's character by the way they treat animals.

Without fail, I have observed that people who are kind to animals are tender hearted and usually are kind and fair with their dealings with people.

Conversely, those who are cruel or unkind to animals treat people in like manner. 

Indeed, I have seen this in my own family, starting with my ex-husband who was a particularly cruel man.

He was very cruel to animals and treated me badly in our 25 year marriage. So much so, that I was forced to leave him to save myself.

His legacy was handed down to my first two children who have a dislike of animals, but are not cruel to them. They treat people around them with indifference and dislike generally as well.

My last two children not only are kind to animals, but actually dote on them. Their treatment of people generally is kind and fair.

Sadly, it has been noted by forensic scientists and so on that people who are cruel or kill animals eventually kill people.

Whenever I see people loving their pets or animals, I feel an affinity with them. After all, gentleness and kindness are fruits of the Spirit. I can be pretty sure that they would be nice people to know and would treat me with equity and fairness. I am rarely wrong.

God created animals for man to have dominion over, but as we see in Judaic Laws, they are to be treated humanely and compassionately at all times. Even when slaughtering them for food, it has to be killed with one smooth cut which is supposedly painless. Kosher.

It is said that animals and children are good judges of character, and I think there's a lot of truth in that. A character that is appalled at cruelty will be loving and gentle and one who does not care will not. Certainly, as born-again Christians, we should treat all living things well as they firstly belong to the LORD.

Test me and see if I am right by observing this for yourself. It is a useful tool to help in judging whether you can trust a person in daily life or not..as well as their walk with the LORD. We should be loving all creatures. 


© Glenys Robyn Hicks


Proverbs 12:10 “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”