Wednesday 18 April 2012

Clementine...


Clementine that handsome man.



Getting a drink of water.


Clementine has been in the hay shed now for almost five months…everybody loves him.  He can still be skittish…I think that will always be in him since he had to fend for himself as kitten for about six months.  But he's very friendly and not nearly as scared anymore.  He still waits every morning for someone to come out and sit and cuddle with him.  At times when I look out the back window I see him sitting there in the sun waiting.  Actually any time you come near the hay shed he comes to greet you hoping you'll stay and sit with him for a while.  Sometimes when I don't have time I try and sneak by hoping not to disturb him because I feel bad if I can't sit with him and give him some attention.  He's got me wrapped around his finger…I mean paw :-)



Lounging in the hay shed.


Don't you love my freckles.


We've never had a cat or met a cat that wanted to be cuddled so much…I think he could just sit there on your lap for hours.  Maybe because he was on his own and so young.  We've had him neutered so he doesn't wander as much anymore…I'm glad for that.  A couple months ago I went out the one morning to feed him and noticed his eye was swollen, he was limping and he had scratches all on his face…he'd been in a cat fight.  No more fights for him…he's not the man he used to be ;-)  Though this cat can hunt.  The morning after his surgery my mom was out in the shed feeding the rabbits and Clementine ran out, she thought she had scared him but a minute later he came back with a chipmunk.




Here's another funny story.  The girls and I had gone for a walk down the road and just up from our place we noticed that someone had hit a rabbit and there it was laying on the road all twisted and mangled.  Well the next day Jocelyne was getting some hay in the shed and noticed this heap of fur…a dead rabbit.  It was a big rabbit…we thought man this cat can hunt and carry huge things.  But the rabbit looked pretty mangled, we then clued in that it must be the rabbit from the road…sure enough we checked and it was gone.  Mr he-man cat had dragged it to the hay shed…we couldn't believe it.



Clementine has been a joy to have around.  It's funny orange cats were never my favourite…but this guy has grown on me and I love him.  Just this morning I took him down the hill when Charissa was feeding the horses.  He then followed me all through the woods on a walk.  We stopped at the log cabin where I've taken lots of pictures and did a little photo shoot, he was very cooperative. 


Why don't we try a shot on the milk can.


How's this, can you see my tail?


How about the side glance and no tail...is that better?


There are lots of lessons to be learned in my relationship with Clementine.  I know he's just a cat, not a person but some things are similar in human relationships. Everyone needs to be loved and cared for.  Sometimes that's hard and it can be a lot of work…some people are very needy and demand a lot from us.  Often times it's easy to provide the physical needs such as food, water, shelter but it's the emotional needs that can be tougher to give…it demands more of our time and attention.  It calls for selfless love.  You still maintain boundaries but you open your heart to another and you're willing to walk them through some of their stuff and some of that stuff can be messy.  For a long time Clementine didn't let me near him and all I could give him was the sound of my voice and my commitment to bring him food and water daily.  I couldn't force myself on him, he would come to me when he felt it was safe.  So it is with some people.  Some people have been so wounded in the core of their heart that they protect themselves fiercely.  But it is well worth the price paid to be given the privilege to walk with someone and see their heart that once was so closed flourish and experience freedom.  That's been one of the coolest things with Clementine, to see him learn to trust and accept us and to live freely.


I had the means to give Clementine what he needed to survive, yet he needed to step out and trust me.  Jesus offers us the same, He has what we need in order to survive.  He wants a relationship with us and all it takes is for us to trust Him, to give Him ourselves and allow Him to be Lord of our lives.  He is wiser, stronger…He is everything.  He is the only one who can guarantee our freedom.  If the Son has set you free you are free indeed!












2 comments:

  1. Clementine is a quiet a ham! Wonderful post Tina, and I love how you always wrap it up with a lesson.

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  2. I tried to comment on this via my phone the other day, but it didn't work.
    I love how you capture the character of Clementine. And how you gave him the space to just be. That you don't press in when he needs space, and that yet, you do press in if he is in danger.

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