“Awwwww!”
I shrieked with excitement and melted at the sight of this adorable kitten. It definitely could not be more than a few weeks old. It’s scrawny legs could barely hold up its fragile body. The kitten let out a high pitched “mew”
“Lindsay found him. He was drowning in the sewer water and she scooped him up.”
The kitten was passed around from person to person, and was occasionally found taking a nap or resting in the palm of someone’s hand. We adored him, and Jonah quickly became our un-official squad pet.
Because animals weren’t permitted in the apartments or the church building, sleeping arrangements came pretty difficult for Jonah. He didn’t like to be any other place than the arms of his new squadmates.
Tonight, as I was walking to my apartment, I heard a familiar sound.
“mew”
I turned the light of my iPhone towards the left to see 2 beaming eyes. It was Jonah! My heart got so excited, and as I took a step towards him, I felt something on my foot. A chill went up the side of my leg. I looked down and saw … Jonah? Another tiny kitten climbed over the top of my foot and made its was towards the other. Joy flooded my heart at the sight of these two marvelous creatures being so playful!
From deep inside the bushes, I heard the sound again. This time, extremely muffled.
“mew”
I looked at the tall grass and the shattered bottles on the ground. There were sections of the grass indented from God-knows-what. I had no idea what kind of creatures were crawling in that mess, but I knew the kittens’ cry. I knew that a kitten was in there, and I knew that kitten needed me.
So, fully equipped with the flashlight app of my iphone, I made my way into the bush. The “mew” grew louder. I looked down to see the other two kittens trying to jump on my feet with every step. I paid close attention to avoid stepping on their little bodies. I finally stumbled across a cardboard box that was flipped upside down. I lifted the box.
“mew”
A sigh of relief rushed over me. The kittens began to play with one another and meow with delight. Thinking my work was done, I started to walk again toward my apartment. The kittens eagerly followed.
As I turned towards the gate, I saw a shadow to my left. It began to growl and bark. I paused and looked towards my kittens, who were by my feet playfully clawing at my flip flop and blissfully unaware of the potential danger. “Mew”
I heard the pitter-patter of his feet on the concrete. He was getting closer. A protective rage rose up from within me and I gave a glare to that dog that wordlessly said “Don’t. You. Dare.”
I was prepared to punch that dog in the face if I had to.
Thankfully, the dog wasn’t stupid. He went around me, eying each little kitten that stood at my feet. The dog turned away, and one of my little kittens tried to go after him!
My heart stopped the first time I saw one of my precious kittens get close to the dog. The kitten fiercely let out his cutest “mew” as if he was the reason the dog turned away, and proudly hobbled back to my foot. I watched that dog the entire time, keenly aware of every move he made, especially if it was towards my kittens. He knew that I would do anything to protect them, and even more importantly, my kittens knew that.
I was suddenly overwhelmed with a realization that God feels this way about His children. Jesus is our fierce protector. He is passionately devoted to you and watches over you. He rescued you. When the enemy comes and seeks to devour you, know who’s feet your standing on! You’ve got a big God that the enemy doesn’t want to mess with. It’s time we become aware of that and step out in boldness!
Learn a lesson from my kittens: Stay at His feet… or even better, in His arms.
