My Ragdoll cat idolizes my 8 year-old Golden Retriever.

She plays fetch, she carries toys around in her mouth, she gets very upset when we don’t let her eat dog food, and she begs to be with the dog at all times. She also runs to meet us at the door, walks on a leash, and licks our faces. Everything she sees the dog doing!

In the house, she is constantly trying to play with the dog. She pounces on her, plays with her tail, hides between her feet and bats at her ears, and she hides – anywhere – and jumps out at the dog when least expected.

Her worst time of day is when the dog goes outside to do her business. On more than one occasion the cat has slipped out between our feet, even in the snow, to run after her “idol”.

It’s quite comical to watch!

Or it would be, except for one tiny problem:

The dog doesn’t reciprocate the cat’s affections!

It’s not that the dog despises the cat. She’s very gentle with her and I never have to worry about leaving the two together. But the dog doesn’t idolize the cat in return. Rather, she tolerates her presence with standoffish disdain.

As I was watching them the other day it occurred to me that we could learn some important lessons from these two creatures. You see, most of us see God in much the same light as my dog sees my cat. We know we need Him, so we do our duty. We go to church. We pay our tithe. We volunteer with the kids’ programs. But our heart isn’t in it. It’s more like we are tolerating God with standoffish disdain.

Wouldn’t it be so much better if we saw God that way my cat sees the dog? If we idolized Him? If we did everything in our power to be like Him? If not being in His presence is the most upsetting thing of the day?

That is what having a relationship with God is all about, friends! Idolizing Him! Imitating Him! Doing everything in our power to be with Him!

For you see, that’s how God loves us! He longs to be with us, He longs to help us, He longs for us to love Him the way He loves us! “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” (Jer 31:3 NKJV)

So let’s take lessons from my pets. Let’s stop treating God the way my dog treats my cat. Instead, let’s treat Him the way the cat treats the dog! Then maybe we will start reflecting Him! “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (2 Cor 3:18 NKJV)

Lyn Chaffart