According to the website where I discovered this week’s tale, it is purported to be a true story about a pastor in a small Midwestern town. The Pastor had been “adopted” by a stray kitten that had decided the parsonage was a comforting place to call home. Although not an animal person, out of pity, the pastor had begun feeding the little feline which cemented its continuing presence. One morning, however, the pastor noticed the kitten had climbed up a young, but tall tree in the backyard and now was stuck, too afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, cat treats, but nothing could entice the kitty to move from the precarious perch it clung to.
After exhausting what seemed to be everything he could think of, the pastor had to concede that the kitty would simply not come down and the tree was not sturdy enough for him to climb. Finally, the pastor had what he thought was a brilliant idea. He decided that if he tied a length of rope onto the rear hitch of his ATV and slowly inched it forward until the tree bent down far enough, he would then be able to simply reach up and grab the kitten.
That’s what he did, all the while checking his progress while guiding his ATV. The tree slowly began to bend just as he planned for it to. He figured that if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he inched the ATV that little bit further forward, the rope suddenly broke.
The tree went “boing!” and shot backward like a slingshot and the kitten instantly sailed through the air – out of sight.
The pastor felt terrible. The pastor searched his entire backyard searching for the feline missile. He also asked several people who had gathered to observe his foiled rescue attempt if they’d seen where the little kitten ended up, but the universal answer was “No.” Nobody had seen where the stray kitten’s flight path had taken it.
So, realizing that he could do no more, he prayed, “Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping,” and went on about his business.
A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members who lived in the neighborhood. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food.
This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, “Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?” She replied, “You won’t believe this,” and then told him how for months her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing.
Then just a few days ago, the child had begged again, so the exasperated mother finally told her little girl, “Well, if God gives you a cat, I’ll let you keep it.”
She then told the pastor, “I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and beg God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won’t believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her!”
Lesson learned…
Never underestimate the Power of God or His unique sense of humor.
The only difference between a wish and a prayer is that you’re at the mercy of the universe for the first, and you’ve got some help with the second.
– Jodi Picoult
Have an AWE-full Weekend!
William J. “Bill” Bacqué