Chapter Four - Cat's Are Cool

Princess, the Beauty Queen

When people come to my house, Princess usually comes sauntering into the room and everyone stops to look at her. “What a beautiful cat” everyone says. They want to pet her and hold her in their laps. Of course, Princess knows just how to play them for lots of attention. She is charming and elegant and everyone notices her. Even her name sets her apart. She is royalty.

You will recall, however, that another cat, by the name of Muffet, came to live with Princess. She, unlike Princess, is timid. When visitors arrive, she hides, trembling, beneath the covers until they leave. She doesn’t do cute little things to get people to notice her. She doesn’t have long silky fur like Princess. She is rather chubby around the middle, but has skinny legs, tiny ears and a short, thin tail. Everyone notices, right away the difference between the two cats. More than one person has commented, “I would like to have a cat like Princess, she is so beautiful. But I wouldn’t want a cat like Muffet.”

That always makes me a little sad, because it seems as though people have judged Muffet’s value, based on her appearance. I guess I relate more to Muffet than to Princess on that score. I am short and fat and no one would call me a beauty queen. It has always made me sad when people made fun of me or when they don’t want to be around me because I’m not beautiful.

That whole experience of the comparison between Princess and Muffet set me thinking about a verse in the Bible. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 - NIV). That verse is really true. God cares about our attitudes, how we act, about our thoughts. Those are things we can control. I can’t much control the way I look. I know for sure that God loves those who are short, tall, thin or fat. He really doesn’t care what I look like, because what I look like doesn’t determine what kind of person I am. That’s a nice feeling. Sure has changed how I think about myself.

Try taking a mirror and looking at yourself. Then think about how God sees you. What you look like isn’t that important. It’s what’s inside that counts.

That has made such a big difference for me. It makes me feel good about myself. And it makes me treat others differently. I try not to base my friendship on what people look like on the outside. God is helping me to learn to love people like he does.

Sometimes I give just a little extra love to Muffet. I want her to know that I think she is special and I like her just the way she is. That’s the way God loves me!