Favorgrace

I decided to smush together the topics of today's post into the title, of course.

Remember that sickly little cat that I blogged about last summer? Well, it seems that while I was nursing him back to health (and God was healing him), I created (or re-created) a monster. I think his appetite has returned with a fierce vengeance. I wish this photo could do it justice, but here he is interfering with my otherwise peaceful dinner from the other night. I was eating a corndog, and he was climbing my arm trying to wrestle my food out of my hand. (This all happened shortly after I had already fed him his food.)

If you prayed for Macho's healing and/or for his appetite to be restored, thank you. I owe you. I'm not being sarcastic; I'm being serious.

In case you don't know, I really love this little guy. His health issues from last summer made him lose about half his entire body weight, which he hasn't completely regained (and possibly may never due to his age). But his appetite is back, his knack for troublemaking is back, and his sassiness is back. My cat is back. I'm happy.

But, of course, Macho's undiagnosed G.I. issues are still something that we deal with every day. I'm just used to it. (I'm going to write about some really gross stuff; thank you in advance for bearing with me.) Most of the time, his poop is runnier than it used to be. He's gotten lazier in the litterbox, so I usually have to cover/bury his pungent mess myself. If I don't spray supersonic air freshener/neutralizer after every time he poops, the stench will become too strong to ignore. Sometimes he poops after every snack. Sometimes his poop doesn't dry right away, and if it's still stuck to the bottom of his tail when he sits down anywhere in my apartment, I'll find tiny pieces of poop stuck to my carpet, floor, couch, etc. Once in a while, I'll find it on my bed near my pillow. (That would more than likely be on the weekends when I sleep in, he uses the litterbox, and then he tries to wake me up to feed him again.) Whenever I can hear/smell him in the litterbox, I try to follow him and make sure he doesn't soil my stuff on his way out of the litterbox. Yes, I sometimes wipe my cat's behind for him.

Just keeping it real.

 

But all that gross stuff that I've been living with (and getting used to) with my Macho is all just a minor adjustment. I love him. I want him. I've known him for 16 years. It's hard for me to imagine life without him. I would do anything for him. He has my heart. I am choking up just typing this.

He is far from perfect, but he has my favor. He has my grace. I take care of him. He is mine.

 

Of course, Macho isn't my only cat. I have Choochie, too. Everything I just said about Macho (minus the G.I. and the poop situation) goes for my Choochie, too. But she has had her own health struggles. Her thyroid issues seem to be under control. She used to have long vomiting spells, but they stopped. And she used to have a heart murmur, but it went away completely. (God definitely healed that.)

Choochie has been mine longer than Macho has. I love her. I want her. I would do anything for her. She has my heart.

Neither of my cats is perfect, but they both have my favor. They both have my grace. I take care of both of them. They are mine.

But even though I love both of them equally, I have noticed that they each receive my love differently. Macho seems to constantly demand food from me, while Choochie often purrs loudly when I'm near her. I think they also respond to my favorgrace differently. Macho is an insecure bundle of nerves who gets into mischief behind my back (e.g., climbing into my kitchen cabinets when he wants to nap), while Choochie has the decency to complain to me out in the open (e.g., chewing on a doorstop when she's hungry). I think they also interact with my heart differently. Macho wants to snuggle with me when it's cold outside, but when it gets warm again he's back to his aloof self; Choochie has always insisted on being near me when I eat breakfast, and she will always want to snuggle with me at night.

So, is my point in writing this to say that I like Choochie more than I like Macho? No, of course not. I'm saying that even though Macho is more of a selfish little high-maintenance slob of a cat than Choochie is, I love them both the same. They both have my favorgrace.

Do you have an idea of where I'm going with this really long analogy?

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." (Isaiah 43:1b-2)

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10)

This might sound terrible, but I didn't learn about God's love for me by watching my earthly father. I've learned about it and experienced it pretty much from wherever I can find it: watching other people interact with their kids, reading the Bible, hanging out with God directly, etc.

For instance, one time I was praying about something (I don't remember what it was now), and God was like, "If you ask Me for a fish, I won't give you an electric eel." I believe He was referring to this passage...

"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?" (Matthew 7:9-10)

...and I'm not sure exactly if the Greek word for "serpent" could also translate to "electric eel," but it intrigued me to hear this part of my Father's heart for me. If I ask Him for a fish to eat, He won't give me a fish that could electrocute me. If I ask Him for a blessing, He probably won't give me a trial. If I ask Him to help me, He won't hurt me.

He's a good Dad.

God adopted me. I'm His child. He loves me. He wants me. He's known me longer than I've known myself. He doesn't want to imagine life without me. He would do anything for me. I have His heart.

I am far from perfect, but I have His favor. I have His grace. He takes care of me. I am His.

And I've learned a ton about how God loves me through my cats. They're like little visual aids that are in my face all the time.

God is right there beside me every day while I'm dealing with my issues. I think He follows me around all day long and is available to wipe my behind so that I don't soil the house He's spent so much time building and re-building with me. "Wait, little one. Come back here. Let Me clean up your adorable little behind. Nope. Don't settle down yet. Let Me finish. No, wait, that's... not a problem. It was time to change the sheets, anyway. I love you. Can we do it differently next time, please? My way is better. Daddy's way will always be better. Wait. Why are you in this part of the house now? This isn't a place for you. Um, can you get out of there, please? You're not authorized back here. I don't want you to get hurt -- that's why I don't want you back here. There's too much temptation in here for you. Get out of here. No. It's not time to curl up and take a nap there. Sigh. OK, little one, let Me pick you up and whisk you away from here. It's OK. Have a good cry in Daddy's bosom. I love you. Please come snuggle with Me."

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)

Why hasn't God euthanized me yet? Aren't I too costly to maintain? Aren't I too much to put up with? Apparently He doesn't think so. He likes me so much that He bought me with Jesus' life. I have His favorgrace for life. He wants me to stay with Him forever. And I want that, too. He's stuck with me forever. And I don't want it any other way.

Just keeping it real.