Natural Love

Okay, so,  go with me on this.....I need you to watch this video before you read any further. (It's only a minute long).

You may be wondering if this is just a clever ploy by the crazy cat lady to push the "cats are so cute, everyone should love them" agenda. While I am always delighted when I can convert someone over into the "cat person" category, I actually do have somewhat of a theological offering to make that was inspired by this video, and well, cats in general.

You see, it all comes down to natural love. I know, I know, some of you are out there thinking, "This mother does not 'love' her kitten. She is simply running on the instinct to protect by nestling her young." If you choose to live in a world that attributes all actions as reactions, then I suppose that is your prerogative. I, on the other hand, choose to live and believe in a world whose very lungs breathe in and out for the sole purpose of displaying the imago dei, the image of God, in every piece of its majestic and complex beauty.

I see in this video a mother cat who has been provided with the natural instincts needed to care for this kitten. I see one cat out of a million that was created by God, and given by her Creator all the tools necessary to care for her offspring.

I had the privilege of experiencing this first-hand last summer. On May 13, 2010, my cat Adeline, a stray at the time, gave birth to five kittens, literally in front of my eyes. I was amazed at how she instinctively knew exactly what to do to care for them. Two of the kittens did not survive (I will not tell you what she did with them....if you want to know, Google "do mother cats eat their babies"....).  But for the three that did survive, Addie became a "Super Mom." She allowed them to nurse, constantly, even though she was still sore from the labor process. She allowed them to climb all over her, to play with her tail, to chew on her ears, all because she somehow knew that this was their training for life. But more importantly, she taught them how to eat, and led them to the water bowl, even though she knew that this meant that they would soon no longer depend on her for their very lives.

After four months, I found a great home for two of the kittens, and I kept one of them, Melle. She is now a year old, yet she and Addie are still just like mamma and daughter. They sleep together, they eat together, they play together. The "mother instinct" did not leave Addie simply because Melle grew up. Rather, it has only grown stronger as the two of them enjoy life together.  I do not believe that is instinct. No, I believe that is what we would call natural (maybe even divinely-inspired?) love.

I have lived with two or more (usually more) cats consistently over the past thirteen years of my life. And in all honesty, they have taught me just as much about God's love for me as any sermon heard, scripture read, song sung or hug offered. All of my cats are my "favorites," and in discovering that I have come to realize that God also has billions of "favorites." Sometimes they hurt me, when they are disobedient or play too rough. Yet I still love them as though the scratch marks on my arms did not exist. Just the same, God continues to love me, even when I disobey, consequently hurting myself and God. This love does not end because it cannot end. God and I are inextricably bound together for all eternity, no matter what I may do.

Yes, I will admit, some of this is sort of corny. But I wanted to express it in writing, because it can serve as such a strong reminder for all of us that God's love permeates the world, from the smallest of flowers that God clothes in splendor, to the hug of a mother cat that will melt even the hardest of hearts. If God's stamp of love is on these things, how much more does God desire for us to accept the stamp of love that is placed in our lives in the person and work of the Holy Spirit?

God is always working to draw us into the divine heart. The question is, will you allow God to wrap you in the arms of mercy and grace that are open to all, and are you willing to open your eyes to see God's love working  in the world around you?