Best of the PhxP
Every week we’ll repost pieces from the past and our books.
The program is called “My Cat from Hell.”
It centers around a wild looking musician/ “cat therapist” (Jackson Galaxy) who comes into homes where the family feline is wrecking hell on the felicity of said domicile, and helps the cat become a wonderful pet. By the time the cat therapist is called to intervene, the kitty is usually under an eviction notice or a death sentence if it doesn’t straighten up.
This, of course, adds some drama to the proceedings. Will Jackson be able to find out what’s troubling Fluffy and save her from people too stupid or selfish to own a pet?
I digress…
The rest of each segment is devoted to the cat therapist looking into what environmental or emotional issues the cat is having and giving the owners homework to learn how to exist together as a family.
Sometimes it’s a long process of changing the environment, the attitudes, and the hearts of all involved.
Sometimes, all that’s needed is a new litter box and quality time together. Of course, at the end of the show everyone is purring.
In real life, most of those cats would end up in a cage at the local pound waiting in line to be gassed.
We don’t have the time, patience, or heart to find out if there’s a problem with the pet, with us, or both. It’s easier just to get rid of the “problem” and whatever happens to the “problem” after that is not our concern.
You know where I’m going…
We do the same thing with our children, our spouse, and our friends.
We do it in the church, too.
I do it.
We don’t “euthanize” each other, but we snuff smoldering wicks and evict the “troublesome” far too quickly.
We believe that there is not enough pay-off for the homework involved… especially when that homework may involve changing ourselves.
I am not unaware that there are truly bad cats and truly bad people and there are relationships that won’t be fixed this side of heaven.
There are more, however, that just need work.
Our biblical job description is “ambassadors of reconciliation.”
I have to go clean my litter box.
Make your own application…
👍 👍
Your litter box? Michael! ! !
Thank you for a great analogy! I always have those few students who don’t trust me, or who (they think) are making my life difficult. I can talk about how awful they are, or I can learn about them and what might be driving their actions (which is often just immaturity). I just finished talking to one of “those” kids, who was difficult from day 1. Then, I found out he was late because he loves talking to his science teacher, and that he is very interested in pens. We made a deal-be to class a minute after the bell, and you won’t be counted late. He has been on time for the past three weeks, and he is teaching me about pens. Increase the security/comfort level, and you may get great results!