A Higher Calling

My neighbor, Roxan, has a Carolina dog, Jenna, who looks a lot like my own Carolina Dog.  Jenna, like most Carolina Dogs, has a strong prey drive. In fact, just last week, Jenna cornered and tried to kill the cat you see in the photo above.  What happened? What made the Kill-That-Cat Jenna turn into a Nose-Nudging-Cat-Buddy?

A stray, sick, skinny cat showed up across the street from Roxan. A sweet neighbor let the cat sleep in her garage, and provided food. Everyone called her 'Amber'. Early reports indicated the skinny female cat was probably about a year old. Roxan noticed the cat was growing skinnier, and increasingly lethargic. Her condition worsened while the first neighbor was on vacation. With the first neighbor's permission, Roxan brought Amber to the vet, intending to have the poor thing euthanized.

"I have good news and bad news," the vet told Roxan after examining Amber, "The bad news is Amber is not a 1-year-old girl...but an 8-year-old boy. You could call him Ambrose."
Done.
"The good news is Ambrose might make it. He has a dysfunctional thyroid, but with the right meds, I think he will pull through. He has a fighting chance."

Roxan has a heart of gold, and while her cat-hating dog would not allow Ambrose to live with her, she was willing to fund the cat's medical needs. When Jenna squirmed loose one day, and cornered the slowly recuperating Ambrose with intent to kill, Roxan and her husband began their efforts to change Jenna's instincts. Ambrose, despite being declawed, and sick, was not the slightest bit afraid of dogs. The next time Jenna approached, Ambrose swatted her, hissed, and Jenna got the hint.  After a few more controlled meetings, Ambrose began sauntering across the street to visit Jenna, who was tethered to a front yard tree.

Miraculously, Jenna squelched her instincts and befriended the lonely, sick cat. Roxan will eventually adopt the cat fully into her home. For now, she monitors the friendship and prays that the still frail, sick, and thin cat will recover. Ambrose continues to live across the street in the neighbor's garage, where he is fed. Several times a day, he comes to visit Jenna, and they are mutually comforted.

When I heard this story, I was overcome by the kindness of the first neighbor that took the stray in, the generosity of Roxan in providing medical care, and the amazing ability of Jenna to inhibit the "desires of her flesh" to a higher calling.

We could all learn from Jenna, Roxan, and her neighbor. We all are made with fleshly instincts that are self-centered, and often other-destructive. None of us have to be taught to be selfish. It comes naturally, in disturbing abundance. However, God reminds us often to set aside self, and sacrificially love others. It is impossible...yet it is commanded. There are countless verses in the Bible about seeking the good of others, even our enemies, above our own desires. We are not to repay evil with evil, but to seek the good even of those who have harmed us. We are not to think ourselves better than anyone, but to conduct ourselves with humility and gentleness. Our words should not corrupt others, but build them up in the knowledge and grace of God. By doing what comes so unnaturally and subduing our instincts of the flesh, God promises we will take hold of that which is truly life.

So how do we do that? Charles Spurgeon instructs beautifully:

We are here taught the great lesson, that to get, we must give; that to accumulate, we must scatter; that to make ourselves happy, we must make others happy; and that in order to become spiritually vigorous, we must seek the spiritual good of others. In watering others, we are ourselves watered. How? Our efforts to be useful, bring out our powers for usefulness. We have latent talents and dormant faculties, which are brought to light by exercise. Our strength for labour is hidden even from ourselves, until we venture forth to fight the Lord's battles, or to climb the mountains of difficulty. We do not know what tender sympathies we possess until we try to dry the widow's tears, and soothe the orphan's grief. We often find in attempting to teach others, that we gain instruction for ourselves. Oh, what gracious lessons some of us have learned at sick beds! We went to teach the Scriptures, we came away blushing that we knew so little of them. In our converse with poor saints, we are taught the way of God more perfectly for ourselves and get a deeper insight into divine truth. So that watering others makes us humble. We discover how much grace there is where we had not looked for it; and how much the poor saint may outstrip us in knowledge. Our own comfort is also increased by our working for others. We endeavour to cheer them, and the consolation gladdens our own heart. Like the two men in the snow; one chafed the other's limbs to keep him from dying, and in so doing kept his own blood in circulation, and saved his own life. The poor widow of Sarepta gave from her scanty store a supply for the prophet's wants, and from that day she never again knew what want was. Give then, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, and running over.

Jenna agrees. In so doing, she discovered an unlikely friend.
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1 Thessalonians 5:15 

See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Philippians 2:3 

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

Ephesians 4:29-32

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.