Sephy, Stop!

Pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight.

THERE WERE MANY THINGS Carol worried about when it came to her bobtail cat, Persephone. Is she eating enough? Is she eating too much? Will she overcome her fear of the window seat? Does she feel self-conscious about her little nub of a tail? But one thing she didn’t worry about was Sephy running away.

Although Sephy was an indoor cat, she enjoyed outdoor adventures. From watching birds and chasing butterflies, to prowling for cicadas and patiently awaiting a view of her chipmunk friend, there was no end to Sephy’s natural world entertainment. Occasionally, she liked to venture out to the bushes that bordered their property line or stick her nose through the neighbor’s chain-link fence. But most often, Sephy preferred to watch the world from under Carol’s chair or while perched on her favorite spot on the deck.

“You’re such a good kitty,” Carol would often tell her beige-and-gray friend. Sephy was not shy about purring her agreement.

Carol and Persephone had developed quite a bond over the years. Persephone curled up at Carol’s feet when she worked, enjoyed walking on a leash with Carol in the park, and patiently sat with Carol as she read. The two seemed to understand each other.

One warm spring afternoon, Carol took her computer outside on the deck and Persephone followed. As she was getting settled, a black cat appeared in their backyard. Startled by the intruder, Sephy let out a deep, throaty meow.

“Now, Seph . . .” Carol started to warn, as she debated her options. Do I grab her? Do I shoo the intruder away? Do I have time to save the file I’m working on?

But before Carol could decide on a course of action, Sephy darted from her observation seat and gave chase to the uninvited visitor.

“Persephone!” Carol shouted, kicking off her flip-flops as she joined the game of chase.

As Carol rounded the corner, she spotted Sephy nearing the sidewalk, closer to the road than she had ever been before. Carol’s heart plummeted, and her blood pressure spiked. The black cat had crossed the road—and Sephy was about to do the same.

“Sephy, stop!” Carol yelled.

Sephy came to a screeching halt and looked back at Carol. As if realizing where she was, Sephy did a funny little jump and hightailed it back to Carol, who scooped her up in her arms just as a car zoomed by. Carol held her cat tightly to ease her own fear.

“Oh, Sephy, you are such a good girl. Good job listening to Mama!”

Sephy let out a loud meow, which Carol interpreted to mean, “I don’t know what got into me, but thank you for stopping me.”

“I love you, sweet girl. Now let’s go inside because Mama’s nerves are shot. But first . . . we have to find my shoes!”

PAWS & PONDER . . .

Do you heed God’s voice? Can you recall a time when following his prompting kept you from danger or trouble? What steps can you take today to minimize the noise and distraction of the world and hear what God is saying to you?

Paws & Pray

God, so many things compete for my attention, and so many people’s voices urge me to join them. Please help me to keep my ears and heart tuned to you. I want to recognize your voice and faithfully follow you.