The Almighty can use anything in His creation to prove Himself or give us divine revelation.   He has proven this to me many times, but recently I was thinking of a particular incident that took place in early 2002 regarding my best friend's missing cat.  

My friend had definitely bonded with her little cat that she had been given the previous year.   We dubbed her Ms. Kitty.  

As with most cats, Ms. Kitty is a cuddly, soft and gentle cat with a personality all her own.   Each time the key to the door of my friend's apartment was inserted, you could be sure that Ms. Kitty would be waiting on the other side.   In her curiosity, at times Ms. Kitty would try to venture outside.   One day the unthinkable happened.   My friend was talking to someone at the door and Ms. Kitty slipped outside unnoticed at the time.  

When my friend discovered her precious Ms. Kitty was missing she began searching everywhere.   For more than a week she searched the neighborhood unsuccessfully.   Our hope was that since she was such a gentle cat that someone had found her and given her another good home as opposed to the unthinkable, that being Ms. Kitty had found her way to the busy highway and had met her fate.  

Well into week two of Ms. Kitty's disappearance, my friend, on her way to work one morning noticed a small gray colored animal that had been killed on the busy highway.   It was hard to tell if it was Ms. Kitty, but the coloring was certainly the same.   My friend and I made several passes to try to determine if this truly was her beloved pet and though we were unable to tell, we resolved ourselves that it must indeed, be Ms. Kitty.

If you have ever lost a pet that you have become attached to you know that there is a certain emptiness that surrounds you.   Though my friend tried to put on a brave front, I could tell she truly missed her furry little friend.   I missed her too as I had stayed at my friend's apartment a few times to care for Ms. Kitty when my friend had to go out of town.   She had always had provided us with amusement when I would come over for visits.

I stayed until late in the night with my friend after we had discovered the dead animal and reached our conclusion.   When I was sure my friend would be okay, I excused myself and left to return home.   It was then that something so amazing happened.

As I was walking to my car in the dark, I heard a cat crying that seemed to be coming toward me.   My first thought was that it must have been the Good Lord sending a stray to fill the void for my friend after losing her Ms. Kitty.   As I bent down and began calling this cat walked right to me.   As soon as I reached to touch it I found to my amazement it was Ms. Kitty!   I lifter her up into the light and sure enough, it WAS Ms. Kitty!   I was so excited it is very possible that a few neighbors may have been disturbed that night.  

I went immediately back to my friend's door and knocked.   She answered expecting that I must have forgotten something and when she opened the door and saw me there holding Ms. Kitty she was overjoyed.   "NO WAY!" she exclaimed.  

I rushed in with Ms. Kitty and she seemed just as happy to be home once again.   We fed her as we were sure she was famished after being gone nearly two weeks.   My friend shared that she had almost given up hope earlier and was about to take up her food bowls and was now glad that she hadn't.   She surely would have done that if Ms. Kitty hadn't been found that night.

I turned to leave again after our excitement was finally settled.   On the long drive home I was thanking God for this miracle and in this whole experience He revealed something wonderful to me.  

I was nearly two years into the stand for restoration of my marriage and I had been deeply discouraged.   The Lord showed me that even though something appears dead doesn't mean that it is.   Even though something is lost for a time, great joy will come when restoration is manifested.   Instead of giving up hope I still wear my wedding rings after all this time as a show of faith and belief that my Lord will restore this lifeless marriage.   The day will come when like my friend and her pet's food bowls, I will be happy that I didn't remove my rings or give up hope.  

We found out some time later that Ms. Kitty was going to be a mother.  In the spring of that same year we had the added blessing of six precious kittens being born.  Just further evidence that when the Lord restores, the blessings He pours out is more than we could ever hope for or imagine!

It still amazes me how my Lord used this situation to teach me this lesson and how He can and will use anything in His creation to do the same for those who seek everyday miracles.

Annette K. Sikes © 2003

Talbott, Tennessee
Age 35 wife of Randy for a grand 7 years!
Occupation:  Data Processing in the Banking Industry
gifted as an encourager and still on a quest for the rest
prisonerofhope2@aol.com

Annette is a  Just4Ladies Member and HBU Alumni Since 2003