Pray Unceasingly - Moonpie is Loved by a Mysterious Stranger and Astro Returns

“You know that kind of quiver that trembles around through you when you are seeing something so strange and enchanting and wonderful that it is just a fearful joy to be alive and look at it; and you know how you gaze, and your lips turn dry and your breath comes short, but you wouldn't be anywhere but there, not for the world.”
― Mark Twain, The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories

Moonpie from the park

Every day I pray for the cats, not only the cats of Cyprus, but all the cats of the world with an addendum for all the creatures of the world, including messy and fallen man. 

For the cats of Cyprus I pray that the people of this country will open up their hearts and their homes and their wallets to these cats and provide for them food, water, shelter, protection, love, friendship, healthcare, plenty of safe space, and a soft place to sleep.  I pray that they will take pride in the cats and see them as a national treasure. 

If the Cypriots were very clever they could turn these cats to their advantage by being the first Mediterranean country to create beautiful cat sanctuaries all over the island, and make them a drawing point for tourists, like Hemingway House.  Cyprus, like Greece,  is dependent upon tourism for their economy.  They could lead the way and begin to take pride in their national treasure and put themselves on the map as a kind country and a leader, especially in all the things the Orthodox Church should be leading in.  

Idealism?  Maybe, maybe not.  Maybe it is faith and it is the most practical idea of all. 

Yesterday morning at the park, when I was walking from the grotto, (where I fill the kibble bowl), to the plastic table, (where Sose was perched),  I saw out of the corner of my eye a cat who looked strangely familiar and yet mysteriously transformed:

What is this I see?  Moonpie in a new black flea collar.

It was Moonpie in  a collar.  A black flea collar.  Someone put a black flea collar on Moonpie.  I did not have my camera, so I have drawn a collar on in the above picture for you to see how it looked.

I was so tickled, I exclaimed out loud my delight to Moonpie and began praising him with all kinds of cooing endearments.  He rolled around in front of me, displaying his new collar, so pleased, so pleased with himself it seemed.  So pleased with himself and his new collar, it was as though he felt he had finally arrived on the radar of the heart of a human as a pet, and it was a well deserved and long awaited thing.  He was transformed.  He was an altered cat. 

It was such a delightful thing to see after having such a hard day at the vets the day before, going there with yet another emergency (Theo), and while I was there, getting the news about King, and being chastised over my bill. 

Since every day I pray that the people of Cyprus will open up their hearts and homes and wallets to these cats and begin to treat them as God's creation and not some mistake, when I saw Moonpie in his handsome collar, I felt this was a beginning of an answer to my prayer.

I say felt, because I don't know, and we must never be presumptuous as far as God is concerned.  This a great Orthodox tenent.

But I hoped.

After I saw Moonpie in his collar, I came home to tend to things here.  As I was feeding the outdoor cats, I heard a furious meowing over near Muji's dog yard.  As I glimpsed a black and white cat, I prayed it was Astro. Astro is a highly verbal cat.  He disappeared about a week ago.  I prayed all week he would make it home if he had been hurt.   I looked closely at the patchwork of black and white that was in front of me.  It was Astro.  He was clearly injured.  Hit by a car?  It looked that way.  Hurt, but home. He is back, and I rejoice over this.

Astro, my chatter box, is home - DOXA TO THEO!

I will never be presumptous and assume God is answering my prayers, but I will continue to pray and hope and give glory to Him when I feel like he is, and even when I feel like he is not, because I never know what He is up to.  No matter what happens, all glory belongs to God.

We should never give up praying.  It is tempting when don't get what we want, but even then we have to perservere.  What if prayer turns out to be the most important thing we do?

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Roman 12:12

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Please join me in praying for the cats of Cyprus daily, and the all the cats of the world, and all the the creatures of the world, including our fallen selves.  May God save His creatures and our souls.  May all things work acording to His will, for His glory and for all of creation's benefit. 

PS  Who put the collar on Moonpie?  I don't know.  But he has another friend besides me.