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Charlie is a cat. A big cat--twenty-two pounds. If you know
anything about cats, you know that you don't own a cat. It owns
you.
The reason for this behavior is what psychologists call "operant
conditioning." This is something that cats are masters at. When
they want something, they will exhibit certain behavior to get you
to respond. When you respond the way they want, they repeat it to
get the same response from you again and again.
For example, Charlie, now thirteen-years-old, started training me
many years ago. It started when I was standing still, and he
flopped down on his side in front of me and closed his eyes. I
happened to respond by rubbing his back with my foot. He loved it.
Ever since then, when I'm standing still, he flops on his side in
front of me, and if I don't respond immediately, he looks at me as
if to say, You know the drill!
The other day I was reading the Book of Ephesians where Paul,
talking about the work God has done in Christ says, "In whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him" (Eph.
3:12). The Greek grammar of this passage tells us that boldness and
access are in a very close relationship. Boldness is the internal
attitude; access is the external reality. We have boldness because
we know we have access.
After reading this and pondering it, I went into the kitchen for a
bite to eat. That was Charlie's signal that food might show up. He
came in, looked at me, and then looked at the pantry door where his
food is kept, and meowed. Yes, that meant, Okay, I eat too. So I
fed him.
After eating and washing himself, he then walked to the garage door,
looked at the doorknob, and meowed again. That meant, Open the
garage door. I want to play out there. Not having opposable
thumbs, and unable to open the door, he knew I could. Again, I
accomodated him.
These are just a few of the ways he has trained me. But with
boldness and access in prayer on my mind, I thought, That's what
Charlie has. He has lived with me for thirteen years and knows that
he can come with boldness because he knows he has access to me.
Suddenly, something dawned on me. If a cat can come with boldness
and access to a human being who loves him, communicate his needs and
have them met, certainly we should be able to come with boldness and
access to our Creator who loves us. And what is more, I can do
better than a cat. I don't just look at the heavens and say, Meow.
I actually can talk with my Creator.
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