Calico Callie

 This is a true story about my beloved, demanding, stubborn cat.

A kind lady found a box of kittens by the side of the road. Unwilling to let them stay in the freezing cold, she brought them home hoping she could find loving homes for all of them. Of course, I responded more enthusiastically than my husband, although he did give in.

When I saw the helpless little ones, one kitten in particular stood out, for she was loveable and the most beautiful kitten of all. She quickly found a home for herself. It took her a few days to settle in without her brothers and sisters by her side. However, she soon discovered her ‘owners’ weren’t her owners at all; she owned them.

They took great care of her, but soon found she was very particular … and peculiar … about everything! When they put a dish of water out for her, she took great amusement in immediately overturning it. They tried everything, including purchasing several fountains. Finally, they realized she preferred drinking her water from the bathtub. (I’m still dumbfounded by that fact.)

She was equally particular with her food. Her parents tried what seemed like every kind of food available. And to this day, she is still particular.  You see, Callie realized she could whine about with one of her parents so they would follow her about the house to see what she wanted. If they gave her one kind of food she snubbed, they would give her another kind. When one of her parents sat on the couch, she would begin whining until her parent would get up, at which time she would jump up on the couch and lay down in that very spot. She slept mostly with her father. When she began the whining again, she wanted him to go to bed to cuddle against him.

Once, her mother tried to introduce her to a small kitten needing a home, thinking maybe Callie needed a friend. The moment that kitten entered Callie’s house, she began hissing hysterically. She stayed angry with her mother for two days; hissing at her every time she passed. She regally turned her nose up at any company other than her parents. (I knew I should’ve named her Cleopatra.)

Her greatest amusement, however, was trying to sneak out of the house. She wanted to explore the outdoors of her home so badly. But her parents knew it was dangerous for her because she didn’t know how to fight to survive. One day, she managed to sneak out. However, there were two very large dogs that spotted Callie and raced to tear her to pieces. Callie, who had never been up a tree in her life, instinctively climbed a large tree to get away from those dogs. Unfortunately, she was stuck up that tree absolutely terrified because she didn’t know how to get down on her own. It took her family to get a ladder and retrieve her.

Callie was a nervous wreck. She was so badly affected that her parents had to take her to the vet. She didn’t try to sneak out for a while. But time took the fear out of her, and she would try to sneak out again. You see, she forgot the terror of those dogs that had chased her up that tree. 

Aren’t we the same as Christians? We get away from God forgetting how many times He delivered us. We forget the nights on our knees praying for a miracle in absolute terror. When God brings about that miracle, we forget that terror and just forget Him again. We return to our previous ways. Cats have that instinct to want to be outside exploring. Human nature has the instinct to turn to sin because we were born into sin and fallen away from God. We’ve all been guilty of it at one time or another. We step outside, and Satan starts chasing us just like those dogs. Callie didn’t know the danger she was in until it was almost too late. How far away do we have to get from God before it is too late for us? Time is running out; the sand in the hourglass is flowing. It’s time to run back to God before Satan tears out our soul.