Seeing God - 100% true story

God's hand shows up at the most unexpected times. Obedience has its rewards.

We thought she had already used up her nine lives. We found out last night she had at least one more saved up.

Last February, we live-trapped Zoe Cat. She was filthy, starving, half-grown, 99% feral and living under a dumpster. Nine months later, we have a gorgeous 99% tamed, fluffy kitty. (go to www.agapehands.com "Resources" page to see her picture)

Last night we thought we would loose her. It had been a busy Sunday. I threw a Happy Birthday Jesus party for the kids in my Sunday School class. They showered me with wonderful munchies and other gifts. Little was I to know Mary gave me a Christmas gift that would save Zoe's life. (yes her name REALLY is Mary!)

Later that evening, we returned home after a successful presentation of the Children's Christmas Play. I was pooped. I was the drama director. I saved a good book just for this occasion.

I read, relaxed, moved on to get groggy and when the book got to the line where the author mentioned kittens and pj's, I dozed off for a few seconds... Time for bed.

I got up from the sofa and started looking for the gift Mary had given to me; a lovely book marker; an angel on satin ribbon decorated with bells.

I thought I had put it in the dining room. I walked in there to see Zoe Cat eating a piece of tinsel. One shiny part was sticky out her mouth. Zoe still freaks if you try to grab her so I decided the tinsel wouldn't hurt her and let it go. Then it struck me that we didn't have any tinsel. Years ago I deemed it more mess than beauty.

Fortunately because I had been reading, I was wearing my glasses. I bent closer to see what she was eating. She half gagged, half swallowed trying to keep me from getting her prize. I saw the end of a sewing needle disappear into her mouth.

I knew if she swallowed it, it would probably kill her without surgery. It was Sunday night, no vets at the clinics. Balances of cost and cat life teetered in my brain. Zoe gagged and drooled. I grabbed her.

The 99% tame cat turned wild against my grip. When you forcefully grab a cat, you either hold it or you don't. There is no in-between.

I forced her mouth open. Not an easy task when she was trying to bite off my fingers. I screamed for my husband to bring a towel.

Zoe gagged and growled. There was hope. If she was gagging, maybe I could see it in her throat.

Hubby securely held her legs in a towel. I used both hands to hold open her mouth. I caught a glimpse of silver on her palette. The needle lodged against the roof of her small mouth. I screamed for needle nose pliers.

Zoe struggled to free herself from my vise grip. Roaring, she repeatedly tried to close her mouth on me, her teeth whacked the pliers. I feared they would shatter because of the force of her slashing. I screamed for my son to get a wooden spoon. Tim the Jack Russell wanted to help. He was quickly evacuated.

Wooden spoon securely wedged across the back of her mouth, I pried at the needle with the pliers. Zoe thrashed. Better to rip her palette than have the needle go down into her stomach and puncture her innards. Missed. One more try. I thought I had the needle loose when Zoe almost got loose. The spoon came out, her mouth closed. She drooled and gagged. She wretched.

The end of the needle stuck a half inch out of her mouth. I grabbed it. The cat struggled. I held on loosening the needle from her clamping teeth. Along with it came a foot long piece of swallowed thread. Freed from our "attack" Zoe ran.

If I had not found Zoe at the precise moment that I did, I may never have know she had a problem until she set up with infection from a perforated stomach. If one of the elements of the story had not been set, then the story would have been changed.

The elements of the story were set.
* In September, I accepted the position of Sunday School teacher.
* Mary and/or her parents offered a gift for Christmas, because I was her teacher.
* They got me a book marker.
* I was tired from directing the Christmas play and retreated to start a new book. (Ironically, unbeknownst to me, it is a mystery involving saving injured animals). I fell asleep at the part about kittens.
* I woke and went to get a book marker, Mary's gift.
* I found the cat in the room where I had thought I had placed the gift. (it wasn't there)

Oh, by the way. This morning Zoe is back to 99% tame. Maybe she knew we were helping. We rejoiced and chatted about having to save the cat's life again...My son's comment, "Yes, her life was hanging on a thread." Touche!

Thank you Lord.

In case you are wondering how the needle got there: No one had been sewing for weeks. Evidentally the needle fell out of the sewing drawer when someone was going for scissors, or maybe the thread was hanging out and Zoe pulled the needle out playing with the thread.