Bester, driven by Love: lessons from my cat

I once wrote about learning from my dogs, lessons of life, now I turn to my cats for inspiration and have gained much knowledge of how to live from watching their daily activities. I have decided that I would like to be like my cat in a few ways. Today I share with you one of those ways.

Meet Bester, she has what doctors call a bit of a weight problem, in fact we often are heard calling her Beastie because of her enormous girth. Sadly this jacket actually had a slimming effect for her in the photo, she is one, nay two arm fulls of cuddle and I love her for it!

Bester lives a life that involves three things, eating, sleeping and getting affection. I want to be like Bester because she has formed her days around what is important. She knows what she needs, she seeks it and is content. I want Bester sized contentment. She gets hungry she eats, she is tired she sleeps, she sees her humans and dives on to the floor in front of them exposing her giant belly waiting for some affection.

Bester, is content with and actually seeks out what is most important. I on the other hand seek out time to tend to my cyber cafe app on my iphone, I seek time to worry, I seek time to fret. None of those are bad in and of themselves but when I seek those before my relationship with my God my priorities are out of whack. Bester is the most satisfied when she is close to her humans, I can tell you from experience, my deepest contentment is found when I am close to God. Bester seeks me out, dives in front of me and waits for her affirmation that she is loved. I on the other hand sometimes avoid my time with God thinking I have more important things to do, I wonder what would it be like to dive in front of God, be vulnerable and lap up how much He loves us.

Bester sort of knows, she takes risks for that very affection, diving at the most awkward of times or when my arms are full. I have to admit that sometimes her risks go unrewarded as I cannot at that moment respond to her need. Thankfully God is very unlike me in that He is waiting for His Children to dive and expose their vulnerable side so that he might apply his healing hand of belonging to our lives.

Besters response to a cuddle or belly rub is a loud and happy purr, it is a purr that says finally, I have all I need. But there is more, Bester will often drool and purr when she is particularly enamored with her human. It is drool akin to a open mouth laugh we have at slapstick comedies when no sound comes out but your mouth is open so long drool starts to happen. Bester has that, pure contented drool when her humans bend down to pet her or stoop to pick her up, it is so sweet. Bester in a phrase is driven by love. I am in awe of that.

So why do I want to be like Bester? I know I am loved but do not I seek it as Bester does. I do not fling myself into the path of my Creator and wait for affection. I through vague prayers up throughout the day, and rush through my bible reading in the mornings, Bester stops and takes it all in. I keep moving through life at too fast a pace which does not allow me to gain Bester sized contentment. Bester taught me today as she threw her self down in front of my path that I need to actively pursue my contentment. Bester taught me today as she drooled on my shoulder that I need to sit and take in the affection God has for me otherwise I will miss it.

My contentment comes from the Lord, I can only pray that my desire for Him and my active pursuit of Him increases to the kind that my Bester shows to me.

Dive on my friends!!!