June 9, 2012

• Our New Arrival

  I knew it had been quite awhile since I’d posted anything, but I didn’t realize it had been over a month!  Everything has been fine with me – just busy as usual.  Summer break is here and we have six children looking for ways to keep busy. 

  It’s funny, I was seriously considering quitting the blogging stuff and had to change my decision when I saw that Xanga had automatically renewed my subscription for a year and I couldn’t get a refund.  I had the “nice surprise” when I couldn’t balance my checkbook.    I’ll have to figure out how to prevent that automatic withdrawal from happening, again, next year!

  So, like it or not, I’m going to be here for, at least, another year!  My sister-in-law says I should find a way to put blogging back into my schedule! 

  The most exciting news (for me, anyway!!) is that we have adopted another baby!  A kitty baby!

  I have a wonder “God story” to tell about his arrival, too!

       
                                                       (A common place to find him!)

  After we had Chirper put to sleep, I knew I would get another cat (I seem to “need” a cat in my life) but I wanted to wait and pray about the next cat.   I wanted what God wanted for me.

  I prayed for what felt like 92 million days, asking God to bring the right kitten into my life.

  Yes, I wanted a baby.  I thought it would make the bonding tighter between the cat and me.   I knew I wanted a gray cat with black stripes.  I’d seen some interesting markings on gray striped cats on T.V. commercials.  I wanted a male cat, they seem to be friendlier.  So I asked God.

  While looking for cats available in our city’s area, I saw a neat cat called a Bengal Tiger Cat.  They have leopard spots and tiger stripes.  The spots were REALLY unusual, but the price for a Bengal was $400.00 – a price I would NEVER consider.

  As I waited, I became VERY needy of a cat to hold in my arms, and VERY impatient.  I tried so hard to find “the right” cat.  I asked God why it was taking so long.  There’s always someone who wants to get rid of a litter of kittens: why was I having such a hard time finding a free kitten???  I couldn’t find any gray & black striped tabby cats.  I knew I couldn’t afford  the Bengal kittens; but, enjoyed seeing their pictures online, and I continued searching for my male, grey tabby.

  Each time I found a kitten, I asked God and felt the huge “NO!” response in my spirit.  Then that command:  “BE PATIENT!” 

  I knew that God had far exceeded my expectations when He gave me Chirper, so I definitely wanted to wait for God to move . . . BUT . . .  it felt like an E.T.E.R.N.I.T.Y. 

  Daily God send the word “Patient” and it churned in my spirit. 

  Daily I processed what it meant to be patient.  Especially when you KNOW something is going to definitely happen in the future.

  I learned I’m not patient. 

  I never have been, but I thought the years had made me a little more patient than when I was younger,.  Perhaps my patience has increased, but only microscopically!!!

    
                                              (He likes to snag legs and bite.)

  My little 6 year old niece that lives with us said, “Maybe he hasn’t been ‘born-ded’ yet, Aunt Cher’.”  My spirit jumped and then I heard God’s voice, “Patience!”

  Now annoyed (with my IM-patience) I quietly snapped, “I AM being patient!!!!”

  Every kitten I called about, every picture I found on the Internet, and even the kittens I held were NOT the right one.  I just knew, in my spirit, “this isn’t the one,” and would pass it up.

  Finally, when I didn’t think I could stand it much longer, my same little niece said (on a Wednesday), “Aunt Cher’, you will get your cat on Monday.”

  “Cute,” I thought, “but . . . whatever.”

  Monday came and went.  And the next week, after that,  began.

  Monday morning, I had been looking on Craig’s List and found orange cats, black & white cats, Siamese cats, white cats with one black spot,  Bengal tiger cats, and calico cats . . . but no tabby cats that were grey with black stripes and a boy.

  One of the easiest and most common types of cats couldn’t be found.  Not ONE cat that I could even call and asked about it.

  I took a bath, Rissy had been on the computer and I had told her to get off.  After my bath, I passed the desk on my way to fill up my coffee cup and there, on the monitor’s screen was a darling tabby with a gray coat & black stripes.  A BEAUTIFULLY marked cat that I had, somehow, missed on Craig’s List.  A picture Rissy had pulled up, but never saw the picture, when I had told her to get off the computer.

  “That’s him!” God spoke to my spirit.

  I looked at the info and it only said there were 4 kittens available.  Nothing else.

  The city was about an hour’s drive from my house.  (Yeah!  You’d think with all the cats in the city, there would be one closer than an hour’s drive away!)

  I didn’t even know if it was a male or female.  I called the number and the lady said she didn’t know, either.  Someone was coming after she got home from work to pick one cat and I’d have to wait until after 5p.m. to see what she had left.

  It was morning and I had to wait until “5 p.m. ?????!!!!!! no waaaaay!”

  “Patience,” God spoke into my spirit!

  “Okay fine,” was my sharp and quick reply to God!

  After 92 million hours had gone by, I called and the lady said she THOUGHT it was a male, but it was kinda hard to tell.   I still knew I HAD to go and it HAD to be immediately.

  Just as I was leaving, Jesse came home from working outside in the hot sun all day and forbid me from driving alone.  

  He wanted to take a shower, eat dinner, and THEN drive me there.  I hadn’t told him exactly how far away it was, other than to say it was on the other side of Tinker Air Force Base.  And, of course, I was NOT being patient because I knew someone else would get there before me and might take *MY* cat!

  He wasn’t thrilled about being rushed and made the comment, “Couldn’t you find a cat a little closer?!!”  I answered, “I really believe this is the one God wants me to adopt.” 

  He rolled his eyes and was equally as UN-nsure, as I was sure.

    
                                  (This is so typical.  Him under something that’s fallen!!)
  

  I called to get directions and found it was out in the country.  One of those directions that says, when you pass the light, you go a quarter mile down a dirt road and will see some bricks piled up . . .

  As we headed out, he asked me, “How much is this cat,  anyway?” 

  

  I hadn’t asked.

  He said, “Well you need to find out before we drive all the way out there.”  And, immediately, I began to call and call and call and call.  No answer.  Nor was there any answer the next 5 times I called.  Finally, she picked up the phone and told me there was no charge.    I smiled and told Jesse, “He’s free!”  He reminded me that meant there had been no shots given and the gasoline it took to drive ALL THE WAY OUT THERE wasn’t free.   

  After we *thought* we found the place, and some men assured us we were at the right place, out of the front door came a lady and daughter holding 3 kittens.

  I looked at “the one” and asked, “Is this the one in the picture?”  She said yes and turned him unceremoniously upside down so I could check his kitty parts.  I agreed it was a male.

  Jesse had on a Christian t-shirt and she said her husband had the same one and she loved it.  So, NOW we knew they were Christians on top of having the cat that was “THE ONE!”

  I asked for a small amount of kibble until I could get to a store and buy what he was used to eating.  She asked her daughter to go get the bag of kibble and while she was inside I answered the mom’s question about naming the kitten.  I told her, “Yes, I already had a name for him.  It would be Daniel Doo-Right and maybe a nickname later on of Dandy-Doo.”  The daughter came back with the huge bag of kibble and the mother turned to her and said,  “They are going to name him Daniel,” and the daughter’s eyes brightened and she looked at me and said “Reallll-ly?”

                             
                                     (He bites and claws and chews and swipes constantly.)

  I don’t know the significance, but they were obviously pleased with his name.  The mom said she could tell he was going to a good home.  I assured them that he would be a little prince around our house and I told them the story of Chirper and all the illnesses we had gone through together.  I told her the reason I wanted a baby cat was that I wanted him to bond with me and to get used to sleeping in bed with me, etc.

  They were doubly pleased.

   

  Best of all:  They gave us the whole bag of kibble and the mom said tomorrow all of the kittens would be gone (I’m glad I pressured Jesse to go  right away!) and the best part . . . I got to give my testimony again of how I was healed and all that God has done for me!

  We got home and my niece reminded me, ” I *told you* he’d come on a Monday< Aunt Cher’!”  And, sure enough, he had!

  We’ve weathered the clawing and biting phase; the up all night phase, and this weekend he’s being taught he can’t sit on the kitchen table.  He’s beginning to learn the meaning of “down” and  I hope he’s as quick to learn that word as he has learned the other rules.

    

  The last part of my story is the part that has tickled me pink. 

  When you turn him over and inspect his belly, it’s full of the round cheetah or “Bengal Tiger Cat” markings. 

  That’s when I cried. 

  I saw God’s faithfulness to me and the care He took to create a kitten with those beautiful round markings.  My niece said, “Look, Aunt Cher’, it’s like God painted him exactly like you wanted.”

  Truly – God Is Good!!!

  Be Blessed ~

  • 12:07 pm
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