My Buddy the Dog: Lessons from a Ragdoll, Part 5
"Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me."
(Psalms
27:10 NIV)
There is an ingrained enmity between dogs and cats. Take my dog, Salida, for
example. When she goes for a visit at my mother-in-law's house, she tries very
hard to befriend the two resident cats. But when her efforts only result in
hisses and snarls, she gets discouraged and feels rejected.
The day we brought Roxy, our ragdoll kitten home, Salida didn't feel that same
enmity she had experienced from former cats. Yes, at first our cat was a bit
intimidated by her big canine sister, but they soon became close buddies.
When going for a walk, Roxy insists to be treated like the dog. She walks on a
leash beside the dog, and even relieves herself on the side of the road, just
like her canine sister. She even plays with Salida. Take the day, for example,
that she jumped on Salida's back while she was sleeping. The startled dog jumped
up and ran, with Roxy lopping along under her belly. Then Salida turned to see
what had fallen on her, but she couldn't figure it out, because Roxy was
standing right under her. You could almost see the twinkle in the kitten's
eye.
Our cat loves our dog unconditionally. Both peace and acceptance are possible in
this world, but only when we are loved without reservation.
Even amidst serious turmoil, I can keep on smiling, for my Best Friend, Jesus
Christ, has accepted me unconditionally. I, too, have experienced rejection in
my life, and there has been only One who has reached out to me and accepted me
for who I am without reservation. In fact He willingly died on a cross for me
so that I could experience such joy and freedom. I have been accepted by
the Most High! Yahoo!
P. S. My canine friend, Salida, is also delighted that she has been accepted by
her arch enemy: a feline named Roxy with unusual attributes.
Rob Chaffart