THE WORLD’S WORST CAT

Who could possibly want Perdita?  She’s an ill-manner, self-centered, and perpetually irritable cat…

Heart Condition

…Her name says it all – named after Perdition, i.e. hell.  On Christmas Eve 2019, the Mitchell County Animal Rescue in Spruce Pine, North Carolina took in the four-year-old female cat when her owner died.  Since then she’s been giving the staff all kinds of mixed signals.  She draws up close like she wants to be held, then – when picked up – growls and starts batting the face of the person holding her.  Actually, Perdita growls at everything, even kittens.  Yes, the animal rescue staff have their work cut out for them, trying to find a caring home for this creature.

But they’re being painfully honest with prospective adopters.  Just read the “sales pitch” they’ve posted on Facebook.

“Meet Perdita, not for the faint of heart. LIKES: staring into your soul until you feel as if you may never be cheerful again; the song Cat Scratch Fever, the movie Pet Cemetery (Church is her hero), jump scares (her specialty), lurking in dark corners, being queen of her domicile, fooling shelter staff into thinking she’s sick (vet agrees…she’s just a jerk) DISLIKES: the color pink, kittens (yuk they are so chipper), dogs, children, the Dixie Chicks, Disney movies, Christmas and last but NOT least…HUGS. She’s single and ready to be socially awkward with a socially awkward human who understands personal space. FREE ADOPTION”

And hovering over her picture are the words, “The World’s Worst Cat.”  Yet, I suspect, there’s somebody out there who’ll take Perdita home and love her despite her morose personality.  Why?  It just seems that God always provides someone for everyone.

Amazing Grace

Just look at the way God took us into His own family.  And what stellar qualities did we offer Him to make Him desire us.  Let’s see.  Could it be our fine pedigree?  I doubt it.  Jesus told us that we were once of our father, the devil (John 8:44).  Is it because of our likeability that God took us in?  I don’t think so.  Paul the apostle described us as dead in trespasses and sins.  In fact, Paul called us all “children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

And, in case you’re wondering, whose wrath we were the objects of, read Romans 5:9-11. There he tells us that we were once “enemies of God,” with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ fresh on our hands.  Yet, according to the great apostle, God so loved us that He took our murder of His Son and turned it into His greatest work of redemption.  Therefore, if God could save us and reconcile us to Himself under those circumstances, then what could we ever do to make God hate and reject us?  Nothing!

If God was a pet owner, He’d specialize in adopting the Perditas of every animal shelter.  But God doesn’t adopt us as His pets.  He transforms us into His children – born by His very Spirit (John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:3) and partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).  This is the greatest redemption of all time.  God has taken children of hell and made them true children of God.

Eternal Significance

And what’s the outlook for our future?  God’s already invested the death of His Son in our salvation – whose blood keeps on cleaning us from all sins (1 John 1:7).  He’s already sealed us with the Holy Spirit, His mark of ownership and His guarantee that He’ll finish the job of our salvation (2 Corinthians 1:22: 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30).  Christ ever lives to intercede for us (Romans 8:32; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2) pleading for our pardon and safekeeping throughout our early sojourn.

I’d say our outlook is very bright and we have no reason to be like the sour-faced Perdita.  Let’s take King David’s lead when he instructed his own heart, “Bless the LORD, O my soul – and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits” (Psalm 103:1-2).

PRAYER

Dear Father in heaven, I thank You for loving me and saving me when there was no earthly reason for You to do so.  Please open my eyes to Your love.  Help me to grasp its height, depth, length, and breath and to understand it more day by day – lest I live in fear of Your wrath, lest I neglect so great a love. Amen.