God's Furred and Feathered Ambassadors

Friends, I had no idea what I was going to write tonight. This came from God. What I write here is about my life and my relationship with the Lord.

God's blessings upon you.
Michelle Rose

God’s Furred and Feathered Ambassadors (and those with scales, too) ;~D
April 1, 2011

An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language. ~Martin Buber

If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to the man. All things are connected. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. ~Chief Seattle of the Suquamish Tribe, letter to President Franklin Pierce

Isaiah 11: 6-9
“The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (NIV)

So much of my life I’ve spent alone, with the exception of having a four-legged companions – I’ve never been married or had a long-term relationship. God has gifted me with numerous cats, guinea pigs, and a few rats. When I feel lonely, they have cuddled me; sat on my lap; listened when I spoke of joy and sadness; needed me; and accepted me just as I am. It has also caused me great sadness when God took them from me, just as He put them in my life. It’s not that I dislike people, it’s just that for so long I could not relate to my own kind because of my emotional disability. That happened when I was first diagnosed with it, but it still happens sometimes now. I can only be with others for so long then I have to escape to be by myself and with either Sasha or other animals. The words Isaiah uses in this verse are pretty much close to my picture of an idyllic heaven. It’s where I want to be when I leave this earth. I want to run with the wolves, tigers, cheetahs, leopards, and other creatures that humans destroy for their own selfish and greedy motives. Creatures, in this life, that mostly are too wild for human companionship. Ok, I’ve gotten off on a bit of a rant here. But, maybe what I see in them, not that I don’t see it in people, are God’s blessings of understanding.

Last night I was watching The Mentalist, with Simon Baker. If any of you watch this show, you’ll understand what I’m talking about here. Patrick Jane, the character played by Baker, is multi-faceted – funny, outrageous and courageous. But something I realized last night was that he is also perceptive to the needs of people and compassionate towards them. Last night’s episode had me in tears, since Jane understands that a medical examiner, who he’s always ridiculed, is dying. It is that compassion, making me love his character. This is how God blesses me with animals – this is how animals are to me (ok, not that people aren’t). This is how God wants me to be toward other people and my lessons come from some humans and many animals. This is the longest God’s Tug I’ve written so far – although I want to keep them brief. Yet, I needed to get it out, since I’m having a bit of a challenging time right now.