Fred’s greatest pleasure was spending time with me. Mine on the other hand was the fact that Fred wanted to be my friend. As He does with most things that are significant in my life, God used this to illustrate my relationship with Him. “Picture yourself as me”, He said. “Now picture Fred as someone who wants nothing more than to spend time with you”. “You take great pleasure in the fact that this animal (Fred was a cat) is never happier than when he is able to get close to you. When you lay down at night, he comes and lies at your side. When you come home he is there to meet you at the door. And when you call him he comes to you”. (Fred was more like a dog.) “Nothing gives me greater joy than when you want to spend time with me, or that you answer me and listen when I call your name.”
Fred was thankful; I can’t remember a time when he didn’t come over and rub on my calf and rap his tail around my leg (he had a long tail) before he would eat.
Fred waited on me; He would always sit and wait by the bathroom door while I brushed my teeth before going to bed.
Fred trusted me; When Fred became ill with kidney failure and we had to give him medication, he didn’t run away or scratch, he didn’t even bite! He didn’t take the medication either. But he never ran out of the room and after all his squirming around he would come back and sit by me.
Eventually we had to put Fred to sleep. A lot of people don’t understand the pain of going through something like this until they have had there own cat or dog. But it is especially painful when you have an animal with a unique personality that chose to be your friend.
In my relationship with God, in many ways, I want to be more like Fred.
