MORE THAN KINDNESS

Today is Monday.  My day off.  A rare opportunity to sleep in, maybe linger in my pajamas a little longer than usual.  Fat chance of that!  Harley has decided that my prone body is the ideal cat toy.  I am pounced upon, batted at and my toes are gnawed on.  So much for sleeping in.  It is at that moment that I realize that the only reason this cat has remained a part of my household is Blondie, my other cat.

I originally named the little, four-pound kitten I brought home from the shelter "Harlequin" for her distinctive calico markings.  It didn't take me long to realize that "Harley" was really short for "Harley Davidson."   My vet had warned me that calicoes tended to be high-energy, stubborn, sometimes on the mean side and would try to dominate and harass other cats in the household.  I could handle the first two, but I was concerned for Blondie who was older, quieter, and when younger, was the low cat on the totem pole of dominance in our home.

Within a couple of hours of  introducing Harley to her, Blondie adopted her.  The older cat became the kitten's mother, sleeping with her and grooming her.  One day, when Harley was playing with Blondie, she got a bit too rough and Blondie whapped her on top of her head.  Whenever Harley bothered Blondie while she tried to sleep, out came her front paw, and whap, whap, whap.  Whenever Harley tried to force Blondie off a chair or my lap, whap,whap, whap.

Now, they're both adult cats, and Blondie still corrects Harley from time to time.  She uses the "velvet paw of discipline" to remind Harley that she is expected to control herself and respect Blondie's space and place in the household.  Harley is still high energy and stubborn, but she is not destructive and mean.  Cat fights are not an issue.  True, she does have her moments, such as being my self-appointed alarm clock, but she is actually a very pleasant, affectionate cat to have around. Thanks to Blondie's discipline.

In C.S. Lewis' book, The Problem of Pain (p.31), notes that many of us see God's goodness and love as a type of kiindness that wants us to be happy, just generally happy.  That sounds more like indulgence to me.

I know that, like Harley, I can be stubborn and far too ready to race off after my own desires.  Left on my own, I can be mean-spirited and controlling.  I've discovered that I'm not all that happy when I'm living that way.   Indulgence is not what is needed to help me to grow as a human being, emotionally or spiritually.

God is not a divine, indulgent parent, and for that I give thanks!  In God's perfect love, God understands what we need to live abundantly and to be transformed into people who love others as Christ loves us and who live out justice and mercy in our lives.  Through grace, the action of God's perfect love in our lives through the work of the Holy Spirit, we receive forgiveness, compassion, mercy, strength, kindness, joy and peace.  And it is that same grace that delivers God's guidance and correction through pokes, prods and whaps of the Spirit to us when needed.

Out of love for us, God gives us what we need, not what we want.  God is always working for our good, and sometimes that means God corrects us so we learn how to live in right relationship with others and with God.  Discipline is not punishment.  It is a gift of love and frees us to be the peopel God created us to be.