Guest Writer: Author Pam Thorson - One Black Cat and the Power of Surrender

 Guest Writer: Author Pam Thorson

Subject: One Black Cat and the Power of Surrender

She jumps into my lap awkwardly, claws out. She drools copiously and paces as I attempt to scratch her ears. Dawn has never been a lap cat before, so she's still learning the ropes.

For many years, she was our outdoor rodent eliminator, so efficient at her job that we nicknamed her "Killer." She roamed our property, only returning to the kennel she was born in when the sun went down. Unless it was summer. Then she often stayed out all night.

She loved to sun on the decks and hunt the hillside behind our house. Two rows of juniper shrubs once lined the terrace behind the basketball court, and she liked to hang out in them. Several years ago, I cut them out and discovered a lair fit for a thriller under her favorite shrub. Beneath a canopy of branches and dusty spider webs I discovered a large, mummified rat lying on its back, stiff legs frozen skyward, earning our straight-up respect at her prowess.

How she stayed alive so long is anybody's guess, given the coyotes and Lord knows what else running around our place at night. One day she came home with a very bad wound in her side that required surgery, antibiotics, and a couple months of rest indoors. The vet guessed she had nearly fallen prey to an owl.

As soon as she was well enough, though, she would have none of being cooped up and insisted on being released back to her wild.

The Gwen fire changed all that. We couldn't find her when we had to evacuate, and she was on her own for many days. When she finally returned home, her body showed the hardships she had suffered. I reintroduced her to indoor living, and time she quickly gave up her independent lifestyle. Now she loves the comfort and attention we lavish upon her. During the day, she commands my office space. Come evening, she moves upstairs with me and sleeps in the hall.

This morning a soft autumn rain quenches summer's thirst as I sip a cup of hot chocolate and sit bundled in my favorite robe. Dawn purrs contentedly while I contemplate the changing of seasons.

Our summer was a mean one. Our son Kevin endured three months of illness, surgeries, and pain. We were forced to evacuate from the path of a fire that very nearly devoured everything we owned.

And yet.

Kevin is alive and healing. We learned we can endure more than we would have guessed. During those awful three months, God brought many people into our lives who touched us with their love and great compassion.

Our home and property escaped the fire.

Like Dawn, we are warm, fed, and learning to navigate new horizons as God leads us to trust on a deeper level.

Gratitude anoints each day we are blessed to arise and serve our majestic, compassionate, loving God.

As the leaves outside my window turn to gold, I stroke Dawn's silky fur and hear the whisper of a page turning in my soul. Life is still littered with daily challenges. But God is calling us out of the chaos into His house of abundance and rest.

I glance at Dawn and smile.

Oh, the power of surrender.

Guest Writer: Author Pam Thorson

About the Guest Writer: Pam Thorson is a nurse, author, speaker, and full-time caregiver. She is the owner/admin of a certified family home in Idaho, juggling her official duties with her love of research and writing. She is the author of four books - Song in the Night, Out from the Shadows, Arrow, and Blood Falls. You can find her books on Amazon, as well as Arrow and Blood Falls at bookstore ...And Books, Too! (andbookstooonline.com)

Her Books:

You can connect with Pam Thorson here:

Website: bloodfalls.net
Prisms Caregiving Blog: prismscaregiving.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/PamelaThorson
Facebook: facebook.com/officialpamthorson
Pinterest: pinterest.com/pamthorson/
Instagram: instagram.com/pamthorson53/

Thank you for your inspiring devotional on surrendering to God. Look forward to having you on again, Pam Thorson. May God bless you in all your future endeavors.

Many blessings,
- Grace Thorson