Mommy Kitty

The other day, Silas, Addie, and I had the great opportunity to introduce four beautiful kittens to the world.  They were about four of five weeks old and had never left the safety of the window well their mother had carefully hid them in.  We took them out and watched them feel the grass for the first time.  They were scared at first, but soon they were clumsily climbing toward us and using their tiny claws to climb onto our laps.  It was a sweet experience.  Their mommy allowed us to have this special moment with her babies.  In fact, I think she enjoyed it.  She came and sat with us the whole time, wanting a little attention as well.  The kittens would climb on her and she would love them in her own way. 

Eventually Silas and Addie got interested in other things and walked back around the house.  One of the kittens was curious, and decided to follow after them.  Suddenly the mommy kitty changed her demeanor.  She started calling to her baby.  The little kitty would look back, and defy his mother’s wishes.  He just kept going.  He wanted to see the world. He was sick of that window well.  I just sat and watched this panicking mother. The kitten wouldn’t listen to her calls.  She ran to him, got in his way, and he still kept going.  She nipped at him (probably the cat equivalent of a spankin). She picked him up by the back of his neck, but he is getting too big for that.  She put him down…and he kept going.  Then something really cool happened.  This beautiful animal looked at me with her big green eyes and called to me the same way she called to her baby. She looked right into my eyes and cried out as if she was begging me to help her.  It was really strange.  I got up and intervened.  I picked up her baby for her.  As I was walking back I picked up the other three as well.  As I held them, their mommy ran to the window well, looked in my eyes, and meowed again.  She wanted her babies back in their safe nest.  She hopped in and I placed each tiny baby in with her.  There she cuddled them and nursed them to sleep.

This special moment really impacted me.  God taught me something very special.  This cat wanted her kittens to be safe.  But they would not listen to her.  She tried everything.  She called to them, she nipped at them, and she tried to carry them.  In her desperation she cried out for help to a being that was higher than her.  This cat genuinely trusted me.  This simple event was a reminder that we mommies can’t keep our babies safe all by ourselves.  There are some things that no amount of protection, no amount of discipline, no amount of teaching can do. We need to call out to a higher being.  We need God’s help.  He’ll intervene and do things we can’t do by ourselves.  And we can trust Him just as much as that mommy kitty knew she could trust me. 

Psalm 121:1-2 “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”