Nothing to be Trifled With

Never have I owned a cat as lion-like as Captain. From appearance to attitude, his attitude and demeanor is larger than life.

We often have differences of opinion on what is appropriate cat-behavior in the home. While he considers countertops and boxes that hold food fair game, I strongly disagree.

At the same time, his strong-willed nature is second to his sweetness. He is as loving and affectionate as one can hope for in a cat.

It's often easier to label a cat, or a person, all good or all bad. We don't like to deal with dichotomy and contradiction. We like to know a person in black and white, so we will know how to treat them.

Not so fast.

God, as all-powerful, all-knowing, is also all-loving. His judgement is a form of love. What? Yes - for the same reason we don't let children play in traffic, rules are gifts. Consequences are gifts. Labeling God one way or another makes a mysterious, unseen Diety easier to understand, and also control. To live with the mystery and the unknown requires faith. That's what makes it so complex and demanding.

What are you trying to control with a label? Who needs your patience and understanding today?