Dead Cats

While a little boy was in school one day, his cat got killed. His mother was very concerned about how he would take the news. When he got home, she explained what happened. The little boy turned away and began to cry. "Don't worry," the mother said reassuringly. "He's in heaven with God now." The little boy whirled on his mother and with desperation and anger in his voice yelled, "What's God gonna' do with a dead cat?"

That's how we all feel sometimes, don't we? Melanie and I have faced a situation in our own lives lately that has come to a very different ending than we had hoped and anticipated. (One day I may write about it, but we're still too close to it to do that now.) The truth is that I know God has the situation in His hands, but from my perspective the outcome seems final and the whole thing appears to be a dead issue. Though I know it's in His hands, my emotions have at times screamed, "What's God gonna do with a dead cat?!" In other words, "Why did it have to end this way?"

I'm sure Mary and Martha felt like that when they buried Lazarus. Martha spoke for all us at times when our crisis doesn't seem to end with a miracle, but with a misery that screams "The End" at us. Martha said, "Lord, if you had been here ..." That's the feeling we all have at times. It seems like Jesus stays out of town when we need Him to step in and do something.

There is an answer to the question, "What's God gonna do with a dead cat?" He may resurrect it. Dead things don't deter God. He can put life right back into something that is "as dead as a door nail." Hope isn't gone just because a situation appears to be ended.

Or God may not resurrect it, but may instead redeem it. In other words, He will use the disappointments and devastaions of our lives to accomplish a greater purpose. We don't know what's good and what's bad for us. Only He does. What we do know is that our Father loves us. He isn't sadistic, but gently and tenderly loves us at all times. Never do we need to believe that more than when life makes no sense.

When circumstances spiral downward and God doesn't step in to change them, He can use the outcome in a positive way. We don't have to see how He plans to use it for that fact to be true. Faith means that we trust Him even when our senses tell us all hope is gone.

Our faith is in our God, period. Faith isn't believing that we will get what we want. It is knowing that we get what God wants and being willing to accept that and rest in it even if our emotions and thoughts argue.

So, what's God gonna do with a dead cat? Whatever He wants. His role is to be in charge. Ours is to trust.