Psalm 23

Here is a tray that I painted. I love this design by JoSonja and I have painted it several times. I changed the traditional colors to blues and greens to match my bedroom.

Psalm 23

     Most everyone has heard Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd…” Some of you may have it memorized. I’m sorry to say, I could say it only if I were saying it along with someone else, but not alone. I used to have it memorized, but the old gray matter is not what it used to be; and it doesn‘t help that they keep changing translations on me. This year I plan to re-memorize a lot of the verses I’ve forgotten over the years.

     As I was looking over the passage, I thought about David writing the verses. He could relate to God being a good shepherd more than I can. I’ve never owned sheep, but I do have a cat, and she has taught me a lot about my relationship with God. I would love to tell you that I’m a good little kitty, I climb up in God’s lap every day and spend time just loving on him and purring. I could tell you that, but I would be lying.

     David said that God cares for his people like a shepherd cares for his sheep. Just what does a shepherd do? They feed, water, and keep their flock safe. I’ve heard that sheep are very dumb and need to be watched over carefully so that they will not wonder off a cliff, get lost, or get attacked by wild animals. I wonder if the sheep are appreciative of all this attention.

     “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside the still waters, he restores my soul.” (V.1-2) Miss Alli Cat is not like a lamb. Sure I feed, water, and keep her safe; but she is not thankful. She thinks it’s her right to be taken care of, and if we’re slow to get her food to her, she loudly voices her opinion on the situation. Oh, forgive me Lord, how many times have I grumbled because I thought you were to slow in answering my prayers, or when you gave me an answer I didn‘t want? How many ‘green pastures’ and ‘quite waters’ have I missed because I went my own way?

     “He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name sake.” (v.3) Have you ever tried to herd a cat? Impossible, cats are very independent! If you want them to go one way, they will turn up their little feline noses, and go in the opposite direction. The story of Jonah comes to mind, and I hate to tell you I’ve done the same thing to God. There have been times when he wanted me to do something, but I wanted to do something else. I’ve turned and gone my own way when the Good Shepherd only wanted to lead me in paths of righteousness. How much better off I would have been if I had followed him. Lord, please forgive me, restore my soul and guide my path.

     Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” The only thing Miss Alli seems to fear is the grand kids and I’ve never taken the ‘rod’ to her. She is just being a cat and that’s the way God made her. But for us, sometimes, being corrected can be a good thing. How could we ever learn to do what is right if we were never corrected for our mistakes? God loves us and that is why he corrects us. He wants us to be the best we can be. This verse also lets us know that God is always there to comfort us in our grief and gives us rest.

     “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (v.5). My husband and I often talk about the fact that Miss Alli is treated better than some children, and she considers being under the table in the presence of her enemies a good thing, that’s where the grandkids drop their food. As a beloved member of the family, she has it made, she is loved, well cared for, and all her needs are met. Sometimes Miss Alli will grace us with her presents, but only when it suits her. How often do we take God’s blessings for granted? I try to thank God for everything; I even caught myself thanking him for allowing me to see a ‘possum’ walking along the road one night. Then I thought, will God think I’m crazy? But then I realized that he would know I’m crazy long before I do and he was probably just glad to hear from one of his kids.

     “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (v.6). We adopted Miss Alli from the local shelter and she has been with us now for over 13 years. Since she is an indoor cat, we expect to have her many more years until she is called to 'Kitty Cat Heaven'. We will continue to cater to her wishes and be her people. As a child of God, I know that my Heavenly Father will continue to lavish me with his goodness, mercy and love and when it’s time for me to leave this earth; I will dwell with him forever.

Lord, please help me, after writing this, I just realized that I’m your stubborn independent cat!
Paint each day in God’s love,

Frankie

Here is a photo of  Miss Alli Cat