Stray Cat

 

Years ago, my son came home with a stray cat.  He formed a conspiracy with his siblings, negotiated well with his parents, and made all of the right promises.  He got to keep the cat.  But Florence (the new cat’s new name) was trouble right from the beginning.  I came home from a hard day of teaching one day only to find that the cat had taken over my bed.  I shooed her off of my bed, but she hissed at me.  Florence always thought that she was the head of the house, not me.  Then we discovered Florence had fleas.  I sprayed, but 2 days later new flea eggs hatched with more fleas.  I became an expert on the life-cycle of fleas.  I finally got rid of them, a month later and $200 later.  After more negotiations, Florence went to live with my parents in Maryland.  They weren’t as hardened to Florence’s faults as I was.  Hey, do you have friends who are trouble?  Does their poor character pull you down?  Do their bad habits creep into your life?  2026 may be the year to shed them.  I Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”