Thursday, August 07, 2008

A Connection with Creation

It was an incredibly relaxing vacation. We had a great time and didn't worry about anything. We had a lot of sun, had some great meals both in and out and managed to care for a family of cats that adopted us for the week. This little family reminded me of God's incredible providence. Our first encounter was with the mother, who looked beaten up and was very thin. No doubt, food was scarce and she was working overtime providing nourishment for her two kittens. The first night we fed her, she laid down on the front porch after chowing down on a cup full of cat food we found in the pantry. She gobbled it all down and had herself a great sleep. What satisfaction she must have felt having eaten such a meal after what must have been a long and difficult time of scrounging for food.

The next day we fed her in the morning and a black tom cat appeared who no doubt was her partner in crime. It was tough for him to get any room for a few morsels of food as the mother cat buried her head in the cup of food and was chowing down again! I thought of how interesting the cat world is, with the females as the hunters who provide food and the fathers who provide protection - not unlike our present culture where so many women are out their hunting in the market place to provide for their families.

That evening the two kittens emerged. Now secure that we were no threat to them, they were comfortable to bring their two little ones out and for the rest of the week, at every feeding, the cat family emerged with mother and father and two kittens to enjoy the meal that was so lovingly given. As the week wore on, we began to worry about how they would do when we were gone. Who would feed them? They would have to revert to their previous scrounging and the danger that came with it.

I have to say that it was very difficult to think about. This little cat family became part of our family and it was heartbreaking to not be able to help them and wonder what danger would come their way. Then we realized that somehow they made it this far. God was their provider and in the scheme of things, He allowed this little cat family a reprieve from working hard for their food with our presence. One week of not having to worry about where food was. One week of rest from the rat race [literally]. One week of enjoying one great meal after another and one great accompanying nap after another.

I guess in an ironic parallel, this little family met us in our time of kicking back to enjoy our vacation with us. What a great surprise and what a privilege it was to be part of God's providential plan. It reminded me of our incredible connection to creation and how the harmony that God imprinted on his creation was so very evident to us during 10 days of rest and relaxation.

Thank you God for the shear joy of being part of your creation and knowing your incredible love and presence in this world and reminding us that we are a part of a masterpiece creation that fits together and runs in a graceful unity. It was a taste of the future, when all harmony will return to the creation and we will rest in your presence in the space that you have given us and so enjoy everyone and everything around us.