Cats versus unborn babies

Last week (2nd wk of November) I decided to watch the news. (I usually get one channel so I was watching Fox News.) I paid close attention when a report came up about a trial that was going on in regards with a dead cat found between an animal shelter's walls. I stopped what I was doing and paid attention. I just couldn't believe my ears. This 60+ year old man was facing two years in prison if found guilty for not helping a cat trapped between the walls of the shelter he managed. Since I do volunteer work at a prison in Dallas, TX, I know what having a record can do to a person's life and I felt bad, actually I was outraged at what was being said. At any age it is never easy to find a job, rent an apartment, being trusted from those around you, etc. So, at 60+ that's much harder, I thought. And here we are in America, ready to ruin a man's life for a dead cat.
Now, don't take me wrong. I love cats, ...and dogs - my husband owns a female boxer for whom I care all week while he works out of town. A while back, we had a cat who had two litters and I did not want to give them away but keep them and raise them all. Later we had Grace Kelly, a white cat I gave my daughter to keep her company while away for college. When my daughter finished college and came back home, I took care of Grace Kelly most of the time. Every morning that cat was at the other side of my bedroom door. While I prayed, she waited and once I was done and opened the door she would be there. As soon as she'd see me, she would meow and I greeted her and together we would go down the stairs. She would drink her milk while I sipped my coffee. This went on every morning until one day when I was in Argentina and I called home and my daughter told me of the passing of Grace Kelly. I cried. So, see, I do love cats, I do care for animals. They do have a purpose in our lives. They enriched us and entertained us. But again we are talking about ruining a man's life because a cat died and he should have done something to avoid it. Yes, it does sound bad and the man should be punished. But prison??? TWO YEARS??? Why not fire him; and/or give him a substantial fine for his carelessness but don't ruin his life. It is a cat!! Which really takes me to why this is a big deal for me.
Here in America more that 4,000 abortions are perfomed each day. Killing unborn babies as far as 9-month into the pregnancy - a procedure known as the "still-born" abortion. And who is bringing these people to trial? Oh, right, IT IS PERFECTLY legal in this country. No like the cat thing. See, a cat is a cat. But an unborn baby has no face, no name, no defender. Our laws are ready to protect animals that are neglected or abused. We are ready to put a man behind bars for an animal and there are a lot of protester asking for this man to be punished. There are lots of witnesses coming forward. But let's not bother with a human being because, well, it just resembles a human being and many like to argue "these are not living creatures but fetuses".
I went later that week to visit a lady who also volunteers at the prison and I did mention about the case. And she went, "Oh that man deserves..." I did not let her finish (I tend to do that.) I told her, "Is just a cat! We are talking about ruining a man's life." And she tried again, 'But he should have done more." "YES! But still is just a cat. We kill babies in this country and no one is being sent to prison; not even for a day! This guy is facing two years! You and I know what a prison record can do to a person. This is wrong!" She finally agreed when I told her about giving him a fine or firing him from his job or both. Let's just use our energy to keep fighting the abortion laws instead.
I did ask her though, if she knew the outcome of the trial since I haven't watched the news again. She said, "He was found not guilty." Ahhh, justice. Thank you God.

Real Housewives

Is there a log in your eye?
It was almost noon. After 6 months without watching TV at home (we don’t pay for cable so we finally bought an antenna), I thought I’d watch the news at midday. I have been sewing shawls all morning to raise funds for the transitional house we run in McKinney, TX and it was time to take a coffee break. So, I prepared my coffee and turned on the TV. Instead of the news however, there was what look like a promotion for a later program. Women arguing over lunch at a fancy restaurant and individually shown later criticizing each other. After what I thought was the commercial, one by one the women were presented. Dressed like they were going to a wedding or some formal party, adorned with what looks like expensive jewelry and posing like models (I guess one of their illusions) each one was introduced with a motto. “If you mess with my family, you mess with me” I think one of them said – and the only one I can remember. Then the name of the program came up, Real Housewives of New Jersey. When I realized that the only channel I could get with my antenna was not having the news but this show instead, I turned off the TV. I did so commenting out loud, “Who has such an empty, meaningless life that has to watch a show so full of crap? Who lives such a pathetic life that has to sit in front of the TV to live vicariously through these women? What can you learn from watching so much vanity and crap? I went back to my sewing putting aside my longing for a break.

Later that evening, the women ministry in our church had “Dinner and a Movie” and I decided to go and join the ladies. If the movie wasn’t great, at least there will be food. (I was thinking on homemade sweets.) Sure enough, the deserts did not disappoint me. I even took some home for breakfast the next day. (Yes, I care more for deserts than wholesome food.) After the movie, there was a Q&A section. One of the questions dealt with what the main character in the movie had to do to get her marriage out of the stagnated state that it was. Someone answered, “Less TV more sex”. A lady from a corner of the room responded, “No if I have to give up my program. No ONE messes with my time for Real Housewives.” I quietly gasp. I know this woman! She sits with her husband in the pew behind me at church. I had her kid in my Sunday class. Oh my God! She is one of those who watches that show!

Everyone laughed at what she said and the hostess moved on with the next question. I left the place remembering that this lady had said in the Bible class she only had read the Bible three times that week. “And my husband (who was absent that day), I think he read it 3 times too. He is trying” she said when the Bible teacher asked each one of us how many times had we been on the Word that week. I went home that night and read the Bible and went to sleep very tired. The next morning during my devotional I prayed for the lady and later my husband, Sam calls me. He is working out of town and the night before I did not call him since I got home late and tired. After talking about his day, he asked me how was the movie and I proceeded to tell him about the housewives program I had thought so detrimental and vain and my question, “who watches that show” to find a person who does that same night IN OUR WOMEN GROUP! He laughed. He doesn’t know her – hardly remembers anybody he hasn’t talked more than three times, his own words – but said “Wow”. I told him, “Oh it doesn’t stop there. As I was praying this morning, she came to mind and I prayed for her. See on my mind I was thinking, this person only reads her Bible 3 times a week and when asked how many times her husband and her prayed together that week, she said not once. But she has time to watch this sick show about other people having fancy lunches that costs more than a dinner for two, badmouthing each other when the other is not present, having boob jobs and trying to show off who has more money.” As my husband listened, I continued, “The thing is that as I prayed I did not realize I was judging her. I’m feeling more spiritual than her, superior if you may because I take 2-3 hours each day reading the Bible and praying. But the Spirit reminded me, ‘Do not look at the speck in her eye but the log in yours’. You know, Sam we read the Bible at night but we don’t kneel before the Lord to pray before falling asleep as we used to. Lately we just say ‘Thank you Lord for this day’ as we closed the Bible and turn off the light or hold hands there in bed and pray for 3 minutes. That’s my log.” Sam went “Ouch!” I said, “There is more. I immediately as the Spirit rebuked me, I reasoned, ‘well it is a speck too in my eye because I do so many other things so this is a small thing’. I found myself categorizing, justifying but the Spirit told me, ‘Those who has received more, more is demanded of them’. In other words, I know better. Even the cows kneel before going down to sleep.” Sam repeated, “Ouch! Ouch! That’s hurting.”

So, after praying for her, I had to start praying for forgiveness. I still do not approve of the show but I’m not here to judge – like I tell my incarcerated students – I’m here to teach and correct as the Lord gives me with love not judgment. I do not know this lady well enough – I don’t even know her name though I know her husband’s since she always talking about him - to approach her in the subject like I would do with one of my closer friends and offer some advice on balancing TV and spiritual life. In being careful in what we watch because after all, what do I learn from such a program as ‘Real Housewives’? But since I don’t know her, then I shall pray for enlightenment in her life and that she gets to know Christ better; not looking at how often she reads the Bible and prays but just pray for her and her family. Her accountability in those areas is to the Lord not us. I prayed for whatever emptiness there is in her life be filled by the Holy Spirit and all her needs be supplied by HE who died for us all. I don’t have a speck. I have a log and that day I started working on removing it by going back to my old tradition that I stopped years ago, go on my knees at the end of the day and spend sometime at the feet of the Master. I’m not saying you have to do the same. I’m just telling my log and how the Spirit revealed it to me. God is so merciful and we are not.

I'm someone's porcupine -

I have been reading a book that at first I thought, "I could have written this" not because I know how to write (I don't) but because I have been teaching and preaching this stuff. John Ortberg's book, "Everybody is normal 'til you get to know them" starts with a truth I have repeated again and again, (but I forget to apply too many times), I put up with others, because they have to put up with me. In Ortberg's words, "We are all damaged goods." A few years ago, I went to work for a printing company and there was this big, quite but very negative guy. After a few months there, I went to the production area of the company and a guy said to me, "How is it going working with 'John'? Does he even say anything to you? That guy was so mean and wouldn't talk to anyone here." This John used to work in production and have been promoted to the graphics dept and actually helped me a lot when I first got there. So, I told this guy, "I don't have a problem with him and yes, he talks to me." He said, "How can you? He is difficult to deal with. What have you told him to make him even be civilized with you?" My response, "I just put up with him because he has to put up with me. So, I accept him for who he is." The guy walked away making a comment like I was crazy. The reality is we think we are so perfect and the others are wrong. Our ways are the best. Our opinions are the ones that count. We don't see ourselves with all our faults. We don't see that we are as "damaged" as the others that we are pointing at or trying to change.
This is something I discussed with my daughter once when one of my nephews came to live with us. He was helpful but only when I asked for help. One day, my daughter and I were moving a love seat from my office downstairs to the sitting area in my upstairs bedroom. We are two skinny gals and were struggling with the couch while my nephew sat at his computer and every now and then took a peak at what was going on (we were making a lot of noise: "Back up!" Put it down! Can't move!). At one point I lowered myself on the steps and the couch got me down as it landed on my lap. We laughed and cried. All this noise finally produced in my nephew a "Do you need help there?" Do you think? I still had to say, Will you help us?" for him to come. But once he joined us, he battled with the couch -- even taking the bedroom door down --until he finished the job. For everything, it was like that: unless I asked him, he wouldn't offer to help and I was mad. I'd talk to anyone who'd listen about this "attitude". Well, it is his trait. He probably has his reason to wait to be asked. Who knows how many times he got in trouble in the past for taking the initiative to help. Whether or not there was a root to his behavior, the point is that knowing him to be like that I should have accepted him that way and request help when needed. It wasn't after a few months of him living with us that I understood this and instead of waiting for him to have that motivation, told him what to do. Later on, I faced my own demons by realizing that I was being stubborn wanting him to be my way instead of me accepting his way. I was like that with so many others including my husband. I was always right, always in control, always the know-it-all not realizing I was making his life miserable. Instead of concentrating on his faults I started looking at my own. Instead of fighting the porcupine in my life, I learned to dance with him. We all have to accept others for who they are instead of trying to change them. Maybe it is you who have to change.