Taught By a Cat

When our dear friend Dorothy moved, she decided to leave her beloved cat, Kato behind.  Our family decided that we would keep Kato if he would have us.  Kato did not transition well.  We kept him in the house for a while and he cried and cried until one day we decided to let him out.  Kato did not come back that day.  Nor did he come back the following day.  We thought that he was gone forever, but he finally came back and owned us thereafter.

There was one quality that really stood out about Kato—he really wanted his “pats.”  It didn’t matter what was happening, he required that we pat him.  There were times that he would be out all night and when he came in, he was very hungry.  Instead of rushing to his dish, he would always “demand” his pats.  We knew that he was hungry because of the way he sounded as he gobbled down his food—after he received his attention.

Kato taught me something by his behavior.  I seek God only after I have my coffee or check my email.  (Actually, after some reflection, there are other things, but these were the two that immediately came to mind.)  It amazed (and convicted) me that his priorities were better than mine.

I was also reminded of a conversation between God and Moses in Exodus 33.  God told Moses that He would give the Israelites the land He promised their forefathers.  However, God also told Moses that He would not journey with them because the Israelites were very stubborn people.  Later Moses continued the conversation and said to God, “If You are pleased with me, teach me Your ways so I may know You and continue to find favor with You…If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here” (Exodus 33:13, 15).

In this brief encounter, Moses showed me what seeking God, knowing God, loving God, and pleasing God is all about.  Moses also taught me something about priorities, which is seeking God’s blessings and seeking God is not the same thing.

Someone else also saw it this way.  After He told us how to prioritize life, He summed it all up by saying, “Seek first [God]…and all these things shall be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).  Good advice, huh?