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Lesson #1 from the Cat on the Deck
Clarksville, TN – Back in early March, a scruffy, long-haired cat started showing up on our deck. He appeared only occasionally at first and then became a constant resident.
We made a commitment to not feed him. (At least I did.) He watched the three resident cats parade in and out the deck door. Surely he noted their apparent enjoyment of the indoor comforts. He made frequent attempts to fall in line with them hoping to be undetected in the cat parade through the deck door.
A Cat on a Deck
The fact that the resident cats were sleek and apparently well fed surely did not escape his notice. With each passing day, he seemed to become more scruffy and scrawny. If he was getting fed anywhere, it wasn’t at our hand.
By the time we took a spring break trip, he had been camped out on our deck for fully three weeks. We hoped our spring break absence would discourage him enough for him to move on.
When we returned, the scruffy fluff ball was not around. Perhaps he had given up. But, in less than a day, he was back on the deck with his ever-optimistic hope of slipping in the door.
By Easter, when my cat rescue queen sister-in-law arrived for the weekend, the fur ball had taken residence on our deck for more than a month. She attempted to shame me into feeding the cat. She even told me it was immoral to not provide sustenance for the homeless soul.
My wife was setting out food and water on the back deck by the time her sister left. The cat had accomplished his objective. He nearly starved to death in the process, but his patience was rewarded in time.
Lesson #1 from the cat on the deck:
- Patience with a focus on the goal has the potential of paying off.
So never give up!
About Frank White 
Frank White is a native of east Tennessee and reveres the hills and nature of the Cumberland Plateau and east Tennessee. He enjoys backpacking, canoeing and flyfishing. He and his wife, Natalie, have been Clarksville residents since 1979. Frank is the owner of MediaWorks, a design and printing company in Clarksville, TN.
He earned a BS in mass communications and political science from Middle Tennessee State University and a master of arts in journalism from the Indiana University School of Journalism at Bloomington. He is a distinguished military graduate from ROTC at Indiana University and is retired from the U.S. Army Reserve having also served in the Tennessee Army National Guard. He served with the U.S. Army VII Corps in Operation Desert Storm.
Frank is a passionate follower of Christ and seeks to mentor others in exploring the endless depths of grace.
Web Site: http://www.mediaworksdesign.com/
Email:
frank@mediaworksdesign.com
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