Another reader in the family.

The godly care for their animal.  (Proverbs 12:10)

Yesterday, our next-door neighbor stopped by our vacation rental just as we were getting ready to leave for our day’s activities.  He and his wife are the caretakers of the property since the owners live in London.  As we opened the door, his cat, a beautiful caramel-colored animal, invited itself in and checked out the first floor and each of us.  Not typical behavior for a cat, but one I’ve seen before with our own cat.  Like most cats, our cat, Snicker, was very independent, so we apparently lived in Snicker’s house for almost 20 years.  All kidding aside, Snicker was a loving and lovable cat until she died at nearly 20 years old.  And there were definitely tears shed when she was gone.

There was a story in “The Word for the You Today” that told of a man who wanted to a certain hotel for a vacation.  He asked them, “Could I bring my dog?  He’s very well-behaved.”  The hotel owner replied, “I’ve been operating this hotel for 30 years and in all that time I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware, or pictures off the wall.  I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly, and I’ve never had one run out without paying the bill.  Your dog is welcome.  And furthermore, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome, too.”

Animals help raise the spirits of the sick and disabled.  They act as service animals for the blind and others who need it.  And many of them simply become an important part of our families.  And yet, many of them are mistreated, abandoned, and even trained to be killers.  It’s a sad commentary on our times.  Sometimes, it’s simply a lack of understanding and continuing what has gone on before.  Recently, the Wringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus  announced its last tour, in part because of animal rights activists worried about the treatment of the circus animals.  To be fair, Ringling has set up a foundation to study the African elephant and the optimal conditions that they need.  But we can also make a difference by caring for the animals in our lives and supporting those organizations that strive to find homes for, and make life better for all of them.  It’s hard to be kind and loving to our fellow-man if we can’t find love and kindness for the defenseless animals that we share the planet with.  God put us all here for a purpose.  And it wasn’t to be cruel and unfeeling to the animals.  Remember, they were here first.