Saved by the Stray Cats

Room 103. It's a 20 square meter space at the basement of an old five-story building somewhere downtown of Cebu. It is where I live. It's where I find refuge from the dangers of COVID19.

Few steps from my room is a kitchen sink. Under it is a hole, a home to several stray cats. It's where they find refuge from someone like me who hates them. Yes, I loathe them! Who will not when one second, your fish is on the basin and a second later, if not totally gone, it'll be headless. One night, you'd clean the tiles until it shines and the next morning you'd wake up with their poops all over it. When caught, I would scare them with a spank but if they're not quick enough to avoid it, I'm not sorry for actually hitting them. Despite that, whenever I get out my room, they would still run to me like crazy, out of their hole, making their sweetest "meow", hoping that I would hand them food. Of course, because I hate them, I would think " Ha-ha, you wish!". Well, sometimes I'd loudly tell them that, yet, they'll just look at me with eyes still full of hope and excitement. If they're getting really helpless, they'll gently nudge their heads or tails on my feet. It's sweet but it didn't make me hate them less. They would only surrender with a saggy tail when they see me back in my room with my door closed.

This scene repeats everyday. They never get tired despite being turned down again and again. They remained hopeful, expectant and positive, until one day, I found myself frying a whole fish for them.

During the first few days of ECQ, I found myself really scared, sad, and anxious. I would always think the worst of everything, but after a while of observing the cats, I'm starting to be ashamed of myself. I got room 103, I still receive my pay, I’ve got food, I'm in a good health, I have friends I can rely on, and above all, I have a big God who genuinely and unconditionally loves me. Unlike them, they only have a hole under the sink, they have nothing, they're starving and they're putting their entire hope for survival on someone like me, who despises them. 

When I realized it, I can't help but be abashed for cuddling a weak faith, loose hope, worried heart, and a pessimistic mind. I have all the reasons to be still and dauntless despite this storm. I was warned about this as early as January through the Lingkod theme "Be still, Be Dauntless, The Battle is His" 2 Chronicles 20:17. I can hear God telling me that I'll survive anything because He is going to fight my battles for me. I should be more calm than the cats, more hopeful, faithful and positive. If the cats, who put their hope and faith in a weakling like me, won their fried fish, I trust that I, who is putting my hope and faith in a mighty and strong God, will also be bestowed with victory and will win a great prize which is of course, a million times better than a fried fish.

I decided to feed the cats as often as I can. I have to save them. O wait! With these realizations, aren't they the ones who saved me?