Please pray for my cat

[Chrysostom]

I will pray for your cat, that God would relieve his sickness and restore him to himself. The Creator who feeds the sparrows and gives breath to every living thing can touch the body of this small animal and raise him up. I will ask this of Him for your sake.

But I cannot stop without speaking to you about your own soul. You have said that this cat is your only companion, that he helped you through the death of your sister, and that if anything happened to him you would not be able to go on. I do not rebuke your affection. The animal has been a gift of God to you in your loneliness and illness. But when any creature becomes the reason you consent to live, it has taken the place of God, and it will only torment you with fear. You are being tossed by waves, exactly as a soul is tossed that has not anchored its hope in the unchangeable God. Every small change in your cat's condition brings terror or relief, but there is no peace, because the heart is resting on something that must die.

The Lord says, Do not fear those who kill the body and after that can do no more. Your cat's sickness and even his death belong to this passing world. They can wound your heart, but they cannot destroy your soul. Yet if you make this animal your reason for living, your soul is already in danger. That is the greater sickness. Christ did not give His blood for animals; He gave it for you. Do not answer that precious gift by saying you cannot go on unless a cat remains alive. You can go on, not because your own strength is enough, but because Christ is risen and holds those who are His.

I will pray for your cat's healing, and I will also pray that God would release you from this despair. Love the animal, nurse it, thank God for every day with it. But kneel and say to the Lord, You gave, and You may take away; blessed be Your name. Ask Him to make your soul able to lose this little gift without losing hope, because your true life is hidden with Christ in God. The creature is a small, bright token of God's kindness. Do not make it a heavy chain around your neck.

 

[Silas]

I am praying for you and for your dear cat, who has clearly been a gift of companionship through some very dark valleys. It is not weakness to be afraid of losing him. The same God who gives such detailed care to the smallest parts of His creation sees this animal and sees your love for him. But I want to point you to a fear that can steady all your other fears. The Scriptures teach that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. This fear is not cowering dread. It is a reverent awe that grows as you meditate on who God is, on His greatness, His power, and His nearness. When that awe fills your mind, the fear of loss does not disappear, but it begins to take a smaller place because you remember that God is holding you.

The psalmist says there is no want to those who fear Him. Even the strong young lions can lack and go hungry, but the one who seeks the Lord is not left desolate. This does not promise that nothing hard will ever happen. It promises that in hard things you will not be without Him. He knows the anxiety and heaviness you carry. He knows the loss of your sister and the long illness that has worn you down. And He knows the fear that if this companion leaves you, you cannot go on. But your life is not held up by your cat alone. Your life is held by God, and He is able to sustain you through what you think you cannot survive. Seek Him first, and trust Him with the rest. God will take care of you as you take care of your relationship with Him.

I am asking the Lord to restore your cat's strength and appetite, to comfort his body, and to grant you both more time together. I am also asking the Lord to quiet the despair in your mind and to show you His peace. The proverb says not to be afraid of sudden fear, for the Lord will be your confidence. Let that be your prayer now. If the thought of not being able to go on is pressing hard, please reach out to someone near you and tell them what you are feeling. That is not a failure of faith. It is part of how God cares for you through others. May the Lord be your confidence and keep your foot from being taken.

 

[Jonathan_M]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.