I've recently been asked to reprint a funny Reflection about a cat that got stuck in some adhesive. Originally published on July 11, 2012, by special request here it is again.
On April 1, 2012, a stray cat laid a litter of kittens under our shed in the back yard. Four days later she relocated them, except for the runt. Our son, Michael, found the reject the next day just as it -- the kitten, not Michael -- was crawling out from under the shed. The critter's eyes were not open. It was starving and making all the noise a blind five-day-old kitten could make as it tried to get its mother's attention.
Looking more like an opossum than a kitten, it found a home in Michael's heart. Michael and my wife raised the hapless creature and now it is part of the family. Since Michael travels across country on preaching trips with us, guess who comes along? Yep, you got it: the kitten. But Michael is a good daddy and had the critter potty-trained in four weeks. The kitten's name is Marvel because it's a marvel that he is alive. Now, on to the main story.
I had placed 16 glue-traps around the house to reduce the spider and cricket population in the world. The traps are 3 by 5 inches, and we put them behind everything. But when it was time to give Marvel more freedom around the house, I picked up the bug-laden traps. Well, I thought I had picked them all up -- until the day of judgment came.
Two-and-a-half-month-old Marvel was playing in the sun-room. He batted his ball, it bounced behind a box, and he pounced after it. A playful kitten disappeared behind the box, but a screaming, crazed, writhing monster erupted from the other side!
Marvel had stepped into the missing glue-trap!
When he attempted to extricate his paw, the trap came with it and smacked him on the head. Now, not only was he stuck, he was attacked! In his panic, his flailing paw swung around and the trap whacked his rump. Now, he was being attacked from all sides! And his increased flailing multiplied his assaults.
He was screaming, writhing, flipping, running from his phantom attackers, flailing and irrationally bouncing as only a cat can do, running into walls to make matters worse, and getting glue all over himself; but I was finally able to grab him to remove the source of persecution. I paid (got bit) for my efforts, but I did not punish him for that error: He was frantically fighting for his life.
I removed the evil entity from his paw, dissolved the glue from his sleek, furry body with WD-40, washed the oil off with shampoo, wrapped his trembling form in a towel, and handed him to my wife who soothed and comforted him as only a loving grandmother can do. (Then I tended to my bleeding wounds.) We figure that he lost three of his nine lives in that event; but with tender loving care he might regain two of them. Nevertheless, it took a week for him to tenuously re-enter the sun-room.
Do you know that we humans also suffer from attacks: Both real and imagined? We might be in our "sun-room" and come into contact with an emotional glue-trap. Too often we erupt and flail around emotionally, trying to extricate ourselves; but to no avail. We need help; but, like little Marvel, we unwittingly lash out at those trying to help us. That makes things worse.
We must allow our friends to help us, for that is part of God's healing plan. Confide in several special people close to you. When others confide in you, keep their confidence; don't use it as a source for gossip or slander. But also, and most importantly, turn to our heavenly Father. First Peter 5:7 encourages us to give our problems to the Lord because He is concerned about us. Proverbs 3:5-6 challenge us to trust the Lord with our whole life, and He will help us every step of the way.
Try to avoid the glue-traps in life. But if (or when) you get stuck, don't try to go it alone. Trust our heavenly Father and accept help from friends. And remember: God loves you.
GENE LINZEY IS A SPEAKER, AUTHOR, MENTOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE SILOAM SPRINGS WRITERS GUILD. SEND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO [email protected]. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Editorial on 04/18/2018