Necessary Pain

This is my cat, Dooley.

While you don't need to know just how many cats I've owned, suffice it to say it's been..um..."many."

Dooley hates going to the vet more than all of them combined.  HATES it.  He's traumatized for not just days, but weeks, after a visit.  When one vet said he needed dental work, the results were disastrous for all involved.  Upon my return to retrieve Dooley, not only did I learn that the dental work wasn't done, but the vet was overheard yelling to the tech, "get the net!" and Dooley managed to stick to the paneled wall.

Lesson learned.

Since Dooley is older and somewhat feral, I decided not to be the semi-irresponsible pet owner and not take him back.  However, last week, he began limping and by Monday, it could no longer be ignored.  A heart to heart with Dooley, explaining he would need to see the vet, resulted in nothing.  But it made me feel better as I stuffed him into the carrier after tricking him into it.  This was a new vet and the tech had the perfect touch with Dooley, and he was perfect.  Or, maybe he was paralyzed with fear.  Either way, the vet was able to remove the offending material from Dooley's paw, clean it up, and give him two shots without anyone losing blood.

That night, Dooley felt so much better that he wouldn't leave me alone, constantly meowing his approval.

No one wants pain or difficult circumstances.  We avoid it, not understanding that a terrible infection is at work the more we avoid the necessary pain.  Trials and troubles often result in the real presence of God when we seek His comfort.  Our losses may be significant and awful, but if we avail ourselves to the healing that Jesus gives, the result of experiencing God Himself drives out the hard edges of our willfulness, selfishness, and lack of love.

Perhaps we don't wish to be refined.  Maybe we even have had enough refining, thank you very much.  But, in the end, the resistance is not worth the relief.  Let the rejoicing begin.