“Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.” (Psalms 27:10 NIV)

There is an ingrained enmity between dogs and cats. Take my dog, Salida, for example. When she goes for a visit at my mother-in-law’s house, she tries very hard to befriend the two resident cats. But when her efforts only result in hisses and snarls, she gets discouraged and feels rejected.

The day we brought Roxy, our ragdoll kitten home, Salida didn’t feel that same enmity she had experienced from former cats. Yes, at first our cat was a bit intimidated by her big canine sister, but they soon became close buddies.

When going for a walk, Roxy insists to be treated like the dog. She walks on a leash beside the dog, and even relieves herself on the side of the road, just like her canine sister. She even plays with Salida. Take the day, for example, that she jumped on Salida’s back while she was sleeping. The startled dog jumped up and ran, with Roxy lopping along under her belly. Then Salida turned to see what had fallen on her, but she couldn’t figure it out, because Roxy was standing right under her. You could almost see the twinkle in the kitten’s eye.

Our cat loves our dog unconditionally. Both peace and acceptance are possible in this world, but only when we are loved without reservation.

Even amidst serious turmoil, I can keep on smiling, for my Best Friend, Jesus Christ, has accepted me unconditionally. I, too, have experienced rejection in my life, and there has been only One who has reached out to me and accepted me for who I am without reservation. In fact He willingly died on a cross for me so that I could experience such joy and freedom. I have been accepted by the Most High! Yahoo!

P. S. My canine friend, Salida, is also delighted that she has been accepted by her arch enemy: a feline named Roxy with unusual attributes.

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “Lessons From a Ragdoll” devotional series, please click here.)