I don’t think any of us want to admit it, but we’ve probably all protested the healing God wants for us. It never ceases to amaze me how much I learn about God through my interaction with Vera, my cat. 

Recently towards the end of my work day, Vera came up and did her normal flop on the desk, stretching out with her back legs towards me. That’s when I noticed her one back paw was practically encased with litter. I was surprised she didn’t clean it off, but she was quietly laying there without a care in the world. I thought I’d help her out and tried using a napkin I had on my desk, but the litter was really caked on; she must have stepped in the freshly wet litter to be that stuck. Once I started cleaning, she was very unhappy with me. I managed to hold her while getting a wet paper towel, but she was protesting with every fiber of her being. As her front paws were over my shoulder, she was literally pulling up my shirt trying to get a firm hold to run away as quickly as possible. 

I knew I needed to be inventive if I wanted to finish what I started. I keep a lap blanket by my desk that was rolled up since it’s still summer weather. I had heard of the “Purrito” approach, that is wrapping up a cat like a burrito to be able to handle them without injury to oneself. I figured it was worth trying. It took two tries to be somewhat successful, but it gave me enough leverage to clean out her paw, especially between the pads as the litter was stuck deep in the fur there. Vera did continue to protest, but not as much vocally and her wiggliness was greatly reduced. Once I felt I got the major pieces out, I let her free. I expected her to ignore me for the rest of the night, but the opposite was true, she stayed very close to me, even purring at times. I think it was her way of acknowledging she appreciated the “grooming” I gave her.

So how does this experience relate to God? Even though a paw cleaned of litter was something Vera appreciated, she didn’t like the process of me wiping with a wet cloth. How many times do we pray to God and are disappointed because we don’t see it happening the way we expect it? We expect God to heal a person. We expect God to make a family trip to be completed without issues and disagreements. But what if the healing comes because of another diagnosis? What if a family can become closer after each person shares their perspective and the impact other family members have on them? God’s ways are definitely not our ways, and sometimes they can be a wild ride!

In pondering this experience, I have no idea what prompted me to wrap Vera up in the blanket, except perhaps my guardian angel giving me guidance. In a strange thought process of how this correlates to God, the blanket wrap is kind of like the Church. When we are enfolded in the embrace of the Catholic Church, doing our best to participate fully in the daily life and sacraments, we are given comfort in our time of trial. Yes, we still may protest, but our “wiggliness” is reduced. Some may only see the commandments and rules to be as restrictive as the burrito wrap, yet it is a far more effective tool of salvation as well as less traumatic than living a purely secular life. 

So the next time you pray for help and healing, be sure to retract your claws of pride, control, and ego, to let God clean out the dirtiness and restore to purity what has been compromised.