A Cat Lover and a God Chaser

All my life I’ve liked cats even though they are typically not as friendly as dogs. Before I became a teenager, there was usually a cat in the household. One that I loved dearly was a black-and-white critter named Yo-Yo. While in sixth grade, I came home from school one afternoon and received terrible news. My mother informed me Yo-Yo got hit by a car and died. I cried heavily for the next two days. A decade passed before my parents got another cat. By that time, I had moved out. I’ve never owned a cat, but enjoy playing with other people’s pets. 

For over twenty years now, I’ve occasionally stayed at a missionary house in Tampa, Florida. A few stray cats hang around the property. A neighbor woman comes by twice a day to feed them. Many of these cats run away when I try petting them, but some have warmed up to me. There’s one that occasionally comes up wanting affection, but will become vicious if I accidentally touch his backside. I’ve gotten scratched a few times.

Then there’s Nico. This cat will sit by the door or run up to me meowing when I go outside, but almost always walks away when I first attempt to pet him. I get annoyed but have tolerated that. When I’m able to grab Nico, he allows me to hold him and starts purring after being petted for a while. That reminds me of something I read in Tommy Tenney’s book “The God Chasers.” Here’s a portion from the first chapter:

“It’s like playing chase with my daughter. Often as she arrives home from a day of school, we play this little game that countless fathers and children play around the world. When she comes and tries to catch me, even with my hulking frame, I really don’t have to run. I just artfully dodge this way and then that, and she can’t even touch me, because a six-year-old can’t catch an adult. But that’s not really the purpose of the game, because a few minutes into it, she laughingly says, “Oh daddy,” and it’s at that moment that she captures my heart, if not my presence or body. And then I turn and she’s no longer chasing me, but I’m chasing her, and I catch her and we tumble in the grass with hugs and kisses. The pursuer becomes the pursued.”

I also remember this incident the late Reggie White wrote in his autobiography “In the Trenches.” The “Minister of Defense” played with the Philadelphia Eagles for eight years before becoming a free agent. For days, Reggie prayed about which NFL team he should sign with but couldn’t discern a clear answer. Suddenly, the Green Bay Packers offered a lucrative contact. God soon told Reggie that He had wanted him to seek Him more and he should go to Green Bay. During his fourth season with the Packers, Reggie achieved his dream of winning a Super Bowl.

Isaiah 55:6 says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.” God can do awesome things in your life, but He wants to be sought after. May this article inspire you to pursue Him more.

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” - Hebrews 11:6