Scaredy Cat

Sadik was all comfy in my lap when my husband turned on the vacuum sweeper. Wow! What a reaction I got. Sadik was panic-stricken. He scrambled off my lap so quickly that he scratched me, something he never does. He was so startled and afraid that he totally disappeared for over an hour.

To tell the truth, most cats I know are afraid of noise. All you have to do is turn on a hair dyer, or the blender and Sadik, or most other cats, is hiding under the living room couch.

When I lived in Brazil, Baby and Dolly were terrified on December 31^st. Do you know why? On that night, at least in Rio de Janeiro, all kinds of fireworks go off. They are loud and long. Usually I didn't see the cats again until the afternoon of January 1^st and even then they were wary and their whiskers full of cobwebs. The two cats hid somewhere in the house that no one could find them at all.

Do you know why Sadik, and Baby and Dolly are so afraid of noise? I think it's because their mother taught them to be afraid. A loud noise could mean DANGER. It could mean an enemy was approaching or that they could be hurt by something. We know that a vacuum sweeper or a blender aren't going to hurt a cat and certainly are not the enemy, but Sadik doesn't know that. Early in his life he learned that a loud noise represented danger and so he runs from it. Poor little Sadik. I could explain things to him, but he wouldn't understand my words. He can't control his fear, so he lives being startled.

I surely am glad I am not a cat. Can you imagine how it would be to live being terrified everytime you heard a blender? Still, I must confess that there are things I am afraid of. I am afraid when I hear strange noises in the night. When that happens, do you know what I do? I pull the sheets up over my head I figure if I can't see anything it can't harm me. I act a lot like Sadik, don't I? I don't fit under the couch in the living room, but I do fit under the covers in my bed. I could act differently than Sadik, trying to stop and think a little bit about the noise. Even better than that, I could talk to God: “God, I don't know what that noise is, but it makes me afraid. You told me that whenever I am afraid, to trust in you, so I am asking you to help me to trust in you. Help me to remember that you will take care of me. Help me to give away my fear to you!” When I actually pray that way, do you know what happens? I go to sleep. Really. My panic goes away. I don't have to hide or feel such terrible panic. It is such a wonderful feeling knowing I can relax and trust God.

I enjoy Sadik, as my pet, but I am glad I am me and not him. I don't have to live my life running away from noises. I don't have to hide when I am started. I can run to God and He give me the peace and calm I need. With God's presence I am no “scaredy-cat”.