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Parables
of the Pastor’s Cats
Cat of Many Colors
We try to be even-handed
about the affection we show our pets, but
Smoky is definitely a favorite. Actually, she's my wife's favorite, but
that's not the point. She's a favorite.
One reason may be the
distinctive pattern of Smoky's coat. She has a wonderful calico
coloring, a
combination of white, yellow, and a sort of gun-metal gray.
She's beautiful.
My mom used to tell me
about the "tri-color" cats that we had on the
farm when I was very young. They were the best, according to my mom, at
just about everything.
They
could catch a mouse in each paw and one more with their tail. They were
always on time at the barn when
milking started, a sure sign of superior cat intelligence.
They were the best, as the legend goes. And you could see their
greatness even as kittens in the color of
their coat.
Our Smoky has certainly earned her reputation. She's taken down some
rather large
prey in the groves around the farmhouse. No moose, yet. But giver her
time.
And she raised six kittens, even though she was little more than a
kitten herself. She's a wonderful cat.
But we loved her even before we knew.
The Bible has a story about a young man who was given a kind of
"calico" coat. It was made from a variety of colors, woven together.
And when the young man put it on, everyone could see that his father
had singled him out for greatness.
His name was Joseph, and he went on to earn his reputation, eventually.
The
challenges were harsh, but Joseph demonstrated a strength of character
that was amazing.
Maybe the jacket was a part of Joseph's encouragement. Maybe it was his
heaviest burden.
If you read the story, his brothers nearly killed him because of the
coat. Not everyone likes a favorite. They hated him, and it wrecked
his life.
Or it could have.
When he was disappointed, he stayed faithful to God. When he was
cheated and attacked, he stayed faithful to God. He kept his thoughts
clean and his actions right.
In the end, he had something more than just a colorful jacket. More
than respect, even. More than the joy of being the favorite.
He had a life lived for God.
And it looked good on him. It looked so good that people started to
say, "He's somebody's favorite."
And they weren't talking about his dad.
(You can read about Joseph in your Bible
starting in Genesis 37 and continuing through the end of the book.)
Open my eyes so that I might see great and
wonderful things in your word.
Psalm 119:18
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