The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. Romans 8:19-21 NIV

My kitty died. Actually, she was my husband’s kitty but I was her caregiver. And she died. We are devastated. She was fourteen years old and we wish she had lived to be one hundred. Let me tell you about her.

One day my son, Eric, called telling me his girlfriend had a cat with small kittens, but the mama cat had died. There was one kitten left, the runt of the litter. Would we like to have her? Sure we would!

My daughter and I picked her up and brought her home. Grey, with a white belly, she was so small she looked like a round tennis ball with huge ears. Monica, my daughter, named her Gizmo because she looked like a gremlin from a movie we had seen called Gremlins.

As a matter of fact, Gizmo was so tiny we were afraid she might get her paw hung in the floor vents. So the bathroom became her bedroom and we covered the vents for her safety.

Gizmo, ever the flirtatious female feline, took up with my husband, Michael C., and he became her person. If you have cats you know that people don’t have cats. Cats have people.

I actually read sometime ago about a civil suit involving damages regarding a cat who had destroyed some property. The judge ruled that although people own dogs, no one owns cats. Cats own themselves; case dismissed. The judge obviously was familiar with cats and probably was owned by a cat of his on.

Gizmo was a delight. She loved the smell of flowers burying her nose in a bouquet of roses every chance she got. When she was younger every time we opened the door she raced outside like a flash. She was an inside kitty and we wanted her inside, especially at night.

I’m sure the neighbors thought we were crazy running around in the dark with a flashlight calling, “Gizmo, Gizmo, here kitty, kitty, kitty.” Or chasing her all over the yard with a treat trying to catch her. As Eric says you can’t herd cats.

After she died we brought her home, wrapped her in a soft towel placed in a pillowcase inside a plastic bag. Michael C. dug a hole and we buried her. We cried until we couldn’t cry anymore.

That may sound silly to someone who doesn’t have a pet, but we loved her so very much. She was a part of our family, not simply a cat. Gizmo brought us so much joy and even as I write this my heart hurts.

I am comforted by Psalm 104:27-30 that speaks of all God’s creation and his love for everything He has made. When I read the passage above from the New Testament book of Romans I find solace in knowing that all creation, including animals, long to be liberated from the bondage of decay.

I think about how Jesus, a man of sorrows, familiar with all aspects of human suffering spoke tenderly of sheep, even describing people as sheep. Did Jesus shepherd his family’s sheep loving them, perhaps grieving over a sheep that died? I think He did.

Or maybe, He grieved the loss of a family pet. Maybe Jesus himself had a kitty of his own that died, hurting his heart just as my family’s heart hurts.

Regardless, I know Jesus loves his entire creation. The length, depth, and width of His love is so indescribable, beyond understanding, that I feel certain He loves Gizmo even more than we do. Knowing His love we thank Him for blessing our lives with Gizmo, kitty extraordinaire. We enjoyed every minute of her.

To God be the Glory! Amen.