A Sewer Cat At Heart

My child, hold on to your wisdom and insight. Never let them get away from you.

JULIE AND TIM UNPACKED the last of their moving boxes, then relaxed on the patio with glasses of iced tea.

“At least we finished that job before school starts on Monday,” Julie said, putting the cold glass against her forehead. The hot Texas sun was making quick work of melting the ice cubes.

Neither Tim nor Julie had wanted to move. But the small Texas town they had called home for several years didn’t have much in the way of promising opportunities for two young educators. So they had applied for teaching jobs in a larger school district. When the same school hired them both, they packed up their belongings, put a “For Sale” sign in the front yard, celebrated when their house sold quickly, and headed east. It had taken a while, but they were finally starting to feel excited about starting a new adventure with their young sons, Phillip and Madison, and their cat, Prance.

Still the reality of the change started to overwhelm Julie as she sipped her tea.

“Everything feels so different—so odd,” she said softly. “Do you think we made the right decision?”

Tim nodded thoughtfully. “I do. It’s different, for sure, but we have each other, we have the boys, and we are trying our best to follow God’s leading.”

Her husband was a man of few words, but when he did speak, his words were usually the very ones Julie needed to hear. Just then, Prance ran to Tim.

“Well, where did you come from, little guy?” he asked, stroking the purring cat. “Feeling better?”

When they had made the decision to relocate, one of the first orders of business was getting Prance neutered. Back at their country house with its sprawling land and lack of neighbors, Tim and Julie hadn’t given much thought to Prance’s extracurricular activities. But when they realized they would be living in a suburban neighborhood, where Prance’s comings and goings could likely result in litters of kittens, they knew the procedure had to be done.

Thankfully, Prance had handled everything well and had plenty of time to recuperate during the long car ride to the family’s new home.

But since arriving at their new house five days ago, Julie had noticed that Prance was always nearby, always underfoot. His behavior was unlike the independent, free-roaming cat they had come to know. In fact, two years earlier, when they found the malnourished stray living in a drainage ditch and brought him home, they had come to an understanding: In exchange for food, water, flea control, and affection when he desired it, Prance would keep their home and surrounding property free of rodents and reptiles, while also meeting their boys’ request for a pet. While Prance occasionally ventured into the house, he seemed to prefer the great outdoors.

But at the moment, the tiger-striped gray-and-white cat bore little resemblance to the independent stray they had rescued.

Tim gave Prance a thorough petting before heading to the kitchen to help Julie put the dishes away.

Later that evening, Tim and Julie decided to scope out their new neighborhood. The wide streets and large wooded lots provided a beautiful backdrop as they walked and talked about this new chapter in their lives. But Julie sensed they were being followed. She turned around a few times, but there was no one in sight. Finally, almost a mile into their walk, they both heard a rustling sound from the culvert underneath a nearby driveway. Moments later, Julie squealed as Prance jumped from the culvert onto the road.

“Has he been following us the whole time?” she asked Tim.

“It appears so. I guess deep down, he’s still a sewer cat at heart,” he added with a chuckle.

Prance continued to follow them, via the neighborhood drains and culverts, throughout their walk. And on their next walk. And the next. In fact, every time Tim and Julie left their yard on foot, Prance kept pace underground.

Two weeks after starting their new jobs, Tim and Julie were taking a walk—with Prance following along. They talked about how much they each liked their classes and fellow teachers, rejoiced over how well the boys were adjusting, and started making plans for the holiday season.

After several minutes of silence, Tim smiled. “You know, I think if we stay as close to each other, to the boys, and to God as Prance stays to us, we’re going to be just fine here.”

Julie nodded and then laughed as she caught sight of Prance creeping his way through the drainage ditch to catch up to them.

“Sounds good to me,” she agreed, before adding, “as long as I don’t have to crawl through a sewer!”

PAWS & PONDER . . .

Why is it important to hold on to wisdom and insight? Are you facing something today that requires you to do just that? James 1:5 says that if anyone lacks wisdom, they should ask God, who gives generously. Take a moment and ask God to supply you with the wisdom you need.

Paws & Pray

Lord, you are my Father who knows everything about me. I want to be your student who holds fast to your wisdom and truth. Help me use what you are teaching me to point others to you.