Living on a farm, one often finds stray cats at the door. Sometimes, people in the city must tire of the novelty and work of owning a cat. Apparently, some do not want to put their cute little kitty to sleep, so they take it out for a drive in the country and let it off near a farm. They must be telling themselves that the cat will be fine since it is a good mouser. No doubt they drive home with a clear conscience convincing themselves they have done the best thing for their pet.
Unfortunately, the majority of these abandoned cats die a worse death — one of starvation and cold — than they would in a veterinarian’s office. Catching one or two mice in a house is not sufficient training for having to catch one’s whole diet. A few of these cats, however, are fortunate to become adopted by farm families.
One of these stray cats, which we named “Holstein,” ended up in our home a couple of years ago. She was half-starved, blind in one eye and near death. She has since become a pampered darling, often receiving meat tidbits and other delicacies from the table. In fact, over time she has become quite finicky in her eating habits. How finicky was brought home to us when another stray kitty, “Blackey,” found its way into our house.
Blackey was in the same half-starved condition as was Holstein when she first arrived and Blackey will eat anything. She gobbles up leftover stew, potatoes, pancakes, and even corn. Food that Holstein now scorns is considered a treat by Blackey.
We can see a lesson in this for ourselves. We are all like stray cats. Feeling abandoned and lost in this sinful world, many among mankind look for a way of survival, for the bread of life. Most of the searchers take hold of false beliefs and feed on vain hopes so they end up perishing for lack of proper sustenance. Only a few of us actually are blessed to find the bread of life.
When we first hear the Truth, we receive it with great gladness and joy, clasping it close to our hearts. We gobble up the word of God and luxuriate in the knowledge of God’s sure promises. But as time goes by, we have a tendency to become like Holstein, taking it all for granted. We begin to lose our “first love,” and without this love, we might as well have perished with the other stray cats. We become like the seed that fell in the thorns.
Let us always keep in mind what it is like to “starve” for the word of God and the precious hope that we have. And let us always strive to keep the enthusiasm we had when we were first baptized.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One