Will My Cat Remember Me?

John 14:16,18 – And I shall pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you. (KJV)

An early spring transfer to another city in another province thousands of miles from home, necessitated a family's separation until the end of school.

The father of the family was a new pastor whom I met through the Daily devotional. By e-mail correspondence, he told me how the people, climate and terrain took a little adjusting to. The demands of the job involved dealing with people and their problems. The trouble was, there was no one at the end of the day to listen to the pastor's problems. No one to share his thoughts, his anguish, the burden he carried for others, some of which was less than his own. There was no one to share a cup of tea, the glory of the morning sunrise or a walk in the wind; no one to say gently, "You'll be okay."

He didn't know anyone who saw things the same way he did. He missed everything that had been familiar to him. He missed his family. He missed his cat and wondered if the cat would ever again lumber on up and breeze back and forth by his knees, tail high, head back, eyes closed; opening occasionally as if to say, "This is mighty nice; I'm sure glad to be home."

He wondered, too, if everything else would be the same. The separation seemed an eternity. He prayed, and was given comfort in many different ways. He told me how he was touched by the power of the prayers of others: he experienced a "lightening of his load" after a prayer group prayed for him; he was able to work with his new doctor and get his new medicine straightened out; he found solace in some new friends; he found a strength and vitality he hadn't felt in awhile; he felt renewed, comforted.

Best of all, his months of waiting became days, hours, and then minutes until, finally, the family was reunited and it was wonderful… and yes, the cat did remember him.

He gave thanks for the many times and the many ways in which God had come to him and comforted him. He had not been left comfortless.

When we ask for God's help, he hears us and he won't leave us without comfort. His love and his answers to our prayers come in many different ways to see us through our toughest times, especially when we feel alone.

Prayer: We thank you Father, for the comfort of your love and the power of prayer. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.