Our paths cross for a reason...

It's been two days since we lost Clementine and we miss him.  I've cried lots, he filled a part of our home and hearts and now there's a void.  But I am thankful for the time that we did have with him and the joy that he gave to our family.

I am also so thankful that the woman who hit him stopped to see who this beautiful orange cat belonged to and came knocking on our door.  I don't blame her at all, it was an accident.  The morning I carried our precious Clementine into the house my husband stayed outside with the woman for a few moments. Later he told me he was torn to come in and comfort me but he knew he just couldn't leave this woman so quickly either and I'm so glad he didn't.  He spoke with her for a bit and then gave her his business card and asked her to give us a call the following day.

Wednesday came and I didn't hear from her.  I prayed she would call.  There were things I wanted to share with her.  I believed our paths had crossed for a reason and if she did call I felt I was to share my faith in Jesus Christ with her.  I had been thinking about it all day Tuesday.  I had said to the LORD, surely something good had to come from this tragedy.  Even the life and death of a cat could be used for His glory, for His purposes.  But she didn't call and I went to bed that night feeling so heavy for the loss of my beautiful Clementine and for the fact that I didn't hear from her and the tears ran.  I so wanted for there to be some redemption in all of this.

Thursday morning came, my heart was still heavy.  Again I prayed, "LORD, stir in her heart to call."  I think it was shortly after 9:00 am and the phone rang...it was her!  She called to see how our family was, she cared and wanted to touch base.  I told her it was hard but we were okay.  I asked her how she was and then I asked if she lived in the area, she didn't but was coming out our way again to visit her dad.  I asked if she would like to stop in on her way by and she said she would.  This was such an answer to prayer, she didn't have to call, she could have just left it, she'd already done her part in stopping to see whose cat she had hit and yet she called and I was so glad.

Fifteen minutes later she pulled in to the driveway.  I went out to meet her and it's funny she stepped out of her vehicle and I realized we both had the exact same top on.  I smiled at her as I pulled at my shirt saying, "nice colour." We laughed about the fact that our tops were the same.  And so we talked and shared...

I shared a bit about Clementine and how special he was and told her I was so thankful she had stopped to find out whose cat she had hit.  And then I told her that I was a Christian, a believer, that Jesus Christ was my Lord and Saviour, she then told me she was too, she was Catholic, though not practicing.  We talked about that.  I said that it was no accident that she hit our cat and ended up on my door step, God knew this would happen and He was in it and He could use it.  I said to her, "could it be that He's knocking on your heart's door saying, come back to Me, give your life to Me."  She listened and she shared some.  She actually lived four hours away and just happened to be in the area for the week visiting with her parents.  Surely God was in this and our paths crossed for this very reason.  God could use my precious Clementine and our meeting one another to knock on her heart's door, to tell her, I love you, I want you, I have a plan and purpose for your life.  And I told her that, "that He does, He has a plan for her to fulfill.  She's a nurse and she can be the hands and feet of Jesus to so many.

In my little bit of time with her I could tell she had a beautiful heart, she loved her job, she loved people and they weren't just a job to her they mattered.  I asked that she would take to heart what I had shared with her, she said she would.  We hugged one another and I told her to stop in next time she was in the area...I really hope she does.  God is at work in her life and if one life can be changed for God's glory through the death of Clementine then the pain and loss is worth it and so I entered my house with a smile on face and joy in my heart...the heaviness had lifted.