I “cat-sat” a while back for my daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Jim, for their four cats. Bamm-Bamm, a large, gray, lazy cat, required insulin shots. He was an easy cat to care for because of his laid-back personality and friendliness. I didn’t have to search all over the house for him. I just called, “Bamm-Bamm, insulin! Bamm-Bamm, kitty treat!” He would come sauntering up and wait for me to perform my task and give him a kitty treat.

I liked giving the insulin shot to Bamm-Bamm better than I liked cleaning the litter boxes. With Bamm-Bamm, Sam, Zoey and Grimmy, there was a lot of, shall we say, accumulation. I pulled my turtleneck shirt up over my nose and used the scoop to dig in and empty out. Sometimes we don’t like to do the things we have to do. Although I don’t like cleaning litter boxes, I also don’t like the idea of the cats having to use a litter box that is not clean. The choice is clear.

We make choices every day. I may not want to do the dishes, but if I want to eat on clean dishes, I will do something about it. I may not want to eat a healthy lunch, but if I don’t want layers of added fat stored on my body, then I will choose something nutritious rather than munching on donuts. The choice is clear.

Now here is an excellent question! If the right choices are so clear, why do we sometimes make the wrong ones? It may have something to do with our stubborn nature. We want to do what WE want to do. The scripture in Psalm 32:9 may be speaking to some of us: “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.”

Our son, David, came to live with us at the age of eleven from a children’s home in Ohio. To put it mildly, he was quite a handful. If I scolded him for eating candy before dinner and the next night I had to scold him again for eating cookies before dinner, he would be indignant, responding with, “But you told me not to eat candy before dinner. You never told me not to eat cookies.” It really didn’t matter what the rule was – David had a rebel spirit.

We, on occasion, are also rebels. Since our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, we should not be housing a rebel spirit. Our bodies are an amazing miracle created by an awesome God. The retina of the eye alone has 130,000,000 cells. Every square inch of our bodies contains more miracles than we can count. We can insist on having our own way, but our rebellion does nothing to benefit the wonderful bodies God created for us. It may be time for us to dig in and empty out “every litter bit” of the rebellious attitudes that so easily influence our decisions. This will give us a fresh opportunity to experience all the wonderful things God has for us.

PRAYER
O God my Lord, my Life, I open every pore, every cell, every tissue, every artery, every vein, every bone to you. This body, in every part, is your temple – hallowed by your presence, cleansed by your purity, and taken hold of by your purposes. O body, behold your Lord. ~ E. Stanley Jones (1884–1973)