I think we can all learn so many things by simply being alert and aware of what is going on around us.
After the world's greatest cat died a couple years ago (see older blog on Zoey) we rescued 3 cats from a shelter. They have been living with us for a couple years now and over time I have become aware of their many little habits.
Two days ago, I was sitting on the couch when one of the cats climbed up and stretched out near me. I began scratching and rubbing him and as usual he began purring. It is the same scenario I encounter with him several times a day. I scratched his shoulders and he shoved his head in the direction of my hand. I rubbed his belly and he turned away from me and rolled onto his stomach. It struck me he is never satisfied with what I am doing but insists I do things how he wants them done. Scratching his belly, shoulders and other areas are not good enough, instead he prefers to have his head, neck and back scratched while boldly rejecting my attempts to scratch him elsewhere
When I feed them canned food, two of them devour it like they haven't eaten in weeks, while at times the little one walks away to stand at my feet. As he looks up at me, he seems to be asking me if I have something better. Mind you he has eaten that variety several times but this time he found it unacceptable. My response is usually something like, "You're a cat. Cats eat mice and even eat out of dumpsters. Just eat the food!"
Those two occurrences have simmered in the saucepan of my mind for a while and it seems God might have wanted me to learn something. It struck me that I may not be all that different in how I respond to things from God. He may have blessed me with something only to see me reject it wanting something different. I may have not appreciated what He gave me enough to say thank you but instead responded with, "So God, don't you have something better?"
Could God ever be as irritated with me as I get with the cats? Do I appear to be as ungrateful as the cats appear to be? Could there be times God is rubbing me on the head, yet I move away because I prefer a neck rub? Could God have given me a good job, nice car or nice home but all I do is talk of how I want something better?
Gads!! Can I really be that ungrateful and shallow?
If I were to stand in Gods shoes (or sandals) would He feel He does nice things for me only to have me not appreciate what He is doing because I want something else?
Do we get that way with our parents, spouses, and jobs? Are we always so busy looking down the road we miss the wonderful things that are right here with us now? How can today ever be wonderful if we are always looking toward tomorrow?
I guess God used a couple cats to teach me a life lesson. We should recognize, acknowledge and appreciate all the wonderful things He gives us every day. I challenge myself and you to look at each day of our lives and not be able to see at least one blessing! If we look for one, I'll bet we find many, many more.
Let's take time to appreciate what we have and thank God, our spouses, kids and bosses for their part in us being so blessed.
By the way, thank you for blessing me by visiting Grounds for Love!
Have a wonderful day filled with a new found realization of all the blessings you have been given each and every day.