We are constantly amazed by our cats!

For example, they’re constantly stopping my wife and I from giving them food and water.

Sometimes, they can’t hear us coming.

Our cat, Neelix, is literally deaf. He truly doesn’t hear us.

The other cats, Angel and Lucifer, decide to ignore us by pretending they don’t hear us.

Other times, our cats don’t see us. At night, it might truly be too dark to see us. But more often they’re simply too engrossed and distracted by other things. They don’t notice what we’re trying to do for them!

Many times, they simply don’t understand what they must do so we can give them their food and water.

They’ll be yowling frantically for us to help them, but they’re unable to understand that they must get out of our way.

They must stop standing in front of our feet, making it impossible for us to reach the food we want to give them.

They must stop standing over the water faucet, making it impossible for us to turn on the water we are trying to give them.

It’s especially frustrating and irritating for us when they’ve woken us up with their yowling or with their scratching on doors. They’re frantic from hunger and thirst!

Yet, when we get out of bed to give them food and water, their lack of hearing, seeing or understanding keeps us from giving them the food and water they crave!

We do our best to help them. But all to no avail. How discouraging and frustrating!

Jesus must often feel as discouraged and frustrated about trying to help us as my wife and I feel about trying to help our cats.

Jesus is trying to help us, our communities of wisdom, our families, our businesses, our nations, and our civilizations to have Life and to enjoy Life to the full. (John 10:10).

But often, we don’t hear, see and understand. (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15; Acts 28:25-27).

We don’t see “fields” that are ready to be “harvested”. (John 4:35).

We don’t hear people who need our love—who need for us to do for them what we would like them to do for us. (Luke 16:19-31; Matthew 7:12).

We don’t understand how to love the LORD our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength and with all our mind. (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:36-37).

We don’t understand how to love our “neighbors” as ourselves. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39-40; Luke 10:25-37).

The beginning of each New Year is an excellent time to reflect on whether we are hungering and thirsting for the right kinds of food and drink. (Matthew 5:6; please read my blogs “Stop Drinking Stagnant Water!” and “Eat the Right Cat Food!).

We should reflect on whether we are truly hungering and thirsting for righteousness.

Why?

Because Jesus assured us in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6).

The beginning of each New Year is an excellent time to reflect on whether we are truly seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. (Matthew 6:33).

Why?

Because Jesus assured us in his Sermon on the Mount: if our top priority is seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness, any other things we need will be given to us as well. (Matthew 6:33).

The beginning of each New Year is an excellent time to reflect on whether we are living like “cats” who don’t see, hear and understand how God is trying his very best to help us to have Life and to enjoy Life fully. (John 10:10).

Is there Darkness in our lives and in Humanity that keeps us from seeing the Way of Jesus? (Matthew 13:19).

Are troubles and persecutions driving us away from the Way of Jesus? (Matthew 13:20-21).

Are distractions such as the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth keeping us from the Way of Jesus—from having Life and enjoying Life to the full? (Matthew 13:22; John 10:10).

The beginning of each New Year is an excellent time to see, hear and understand all the ways that the LORD is our Good Shepherd, filling our hunger and thirst for righteousness by giving us “grass” from “green pastures” and by giving us “cups” that “overflow”! (Psalm 23:2,5).

The beginning of each New Year is an excellent time to see, hear and understand all the ways that the LORD is our Good Shepherd, keeping us from lacking anything we need to have Life and to enjoy Life to the full! (Psalm 23:1; John 10:10).

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For more reflections for the start of each New Year, please read my other blogs about our cats: “Stop Drinking Stagnant Water!” and “Eat the Right Cat Food!”

For additional thoughts inspired by our pets, please read my blogs “Toto Begging for Food”, “The Star of Bethlehem Was a ‘Can of Tuna Fish’”, “I Love You, Gram. Bye!”, and “Eating Too Much Too Quickly”.