Simon and Spirituality

ceo for the kids
I have two cats, Toby and Simon. They are American cats, but now are bilingual as my neighbor speaks only Hungarian. They also have two homes, mine and hers. Spoiled? Yes! Recently, or it seems yearly now, Simon came down with a urinary tract infection. After a round of antibiotics, I thought we had it licked. However, about 3 days ago, he started dashing to the litter box about every 2 minutes, trying to pee, but only squeaking out little droplets. Instead of returning the the anti-biotic-dispensing-vet, I opted to pump him with the build-your-immune-system-drops the vet gave me at the last meeting, and force feed him lots of water, remembering that the vet said he needs to stay hydrated. Well, it didn't take long for Simon to figure out that when mom is holding a syringe full of water in her hand, that means force feeding of water. So, he runs and hides under the bed. He has no idea that this is for his own good; that if he would just submit to the discipline of drinking water that his urinary problems would most likely resolve themselves, that if he would undergo a bit of discomfort now, that later, he would be much better off. How true of us in our walks with Jesus, isn't it? We sometimes run away from our loving Father when He comes at us with a syringe full of something we don't necessarily want, be it discipline, rebuke, or conviction. All of these are really good for us because after enduring them, we become healthier, stronger and life returns as we return to the giver of our lives. I thank God for both Simon and Toby and all the lessons they teach me about life with the Lord.