I heard her crying the minute I got out of the car!
Dr. Van Impe and I had just arrived home from a crusade trip on a beautiful August night several years ago. It was almost 3 o'clock in the morning and we were eager to get the car unpacked and get inside.
But we heard a little cry -- almost like the sound of a baby. I hurried over to some nearby shrubbery, reached down...and there was a tiny little kitten!
I picked up that wee ball of fur and gently stroked her. She was so little, so lost, so alone. Our house was not near the city or heavily-traveled areas, so I couldn't imagine where that cat could have come from.
Later, I decided the Lord just allowed her to come to our house.
"Can I feed her?" I asked my husband.
"That's really not a very good idea," he said. "Once you feed her, you'll have a cat. And you know we're traveling all the time, often by air. That cat could never travel with us. So I don't think you'd better feed her."
Well, I finally went to bed that night, but I didn't sleep. I kept thinking about that poor little kitty outside. As soon as it got light the next morning, I was up. And there was the kitten out on our patio!
"Can't I feed her just a little now?" I asked. And Jack gave in. So I got her some milk.
As we cared for that tiny animal, she quickly began to win our hearts. We could see that she was very hungry, weak, and sick. But she was so sweet and appreciative of the attention we gave her.
I took her to a veterinarian who found that she had mites in her ears, intestinal worms, and that her eyes were infected. He gave me some medicine for her, and told me she was about four weeks old. He said she apparently had been abandoned by her mother, and that if we had not cared for her, she would have certainly died.
When I got home with her, Jack said, "We'll feed her and nurse her back to health, but she has to stay out in the garage -- she can't come inside the house." So we fixed up a comfortable place for her and she got stronger and better by the day.
I was so happy to have this little stray kitten because, with our travel schedule, we'd never even considered having a pet of any kind. We decided that the man who mowed our grass during the summer could come by the house every day when we were gone and feed Finica.
That's what we named her -- Finica, a derivative of the Flemish word for Josephine. The "CA" on the end of the word indicates precious or beloved. And so she is!
Finica's bed in the garage lasted for one trip. I could hardly wait to get back home to check on her. And she was so glad to see US.
Jack said, "Now, we can't let her into the house, you know." And I replied, "Oh, let's just take her in for a little while so I can love her a little bit."
The moment she set foot inside the door, Finica became queen of the house. And she never went back to the garage again! In two weeks' time, she went from an abandoned stray to a member of our family.
For many years now, she has been a great joy! And we have learned so many lessons from her -- gentleness, unqualified love, dependence with dignity, devotion, and patience.
She immediately adapted herself to our life-style. Because we spend so much time working, she learned independence and self-entertainment. She has always required a minimum of fuss.
And she took to travel like a real trooper. She began traveling in the car when she was just a month old. Unlike many animals, she never was nervous or upset, and never had to be tranquilized.
So when it came time to fly, she went right on the plane with me. She's been on hundreds of flights -- even all the way to Alaska. She adapts to different hotel rooms without complaint. When we come in at night, tired from a busy evening, there she is with a gentle purr, ready to cuddle for a while. It's just like having "family" on the road with us.
Although she still goes with us all the time, now that she's getting older, Finica does enjoy home life a bit more than traveling. She especially loves to lie in front of the fireplace on a cold evening, or just sit and look out the window during the day. She doesn't require a lot to be content.
And you know, the one who first said, "Don't feed her" -- I just don't know what he would do without her now. Jack loves Finica as much as I do. Some might have a hard time visualizing this manly, busy scholar having time for a cat -- but you should just see them together! They're quite a pair.
When we travel, he never complains about going to the airport a little early to make special arrangements for Finica. He likes to take her with us and would do anything within reason for her.
So often when I'm enjoying the companionship of my beloved friend and pet, I think of what we would have missed had we not taken her in. We had to get involved -- we fed her, nursed her, met her needs. And over the years, she's required some of our time and attention. But, oh, how much she's given back to us! How we've been blessed in return.
So even when we have the resources to share and wisdom that is needed, we pass on by...or sit back doing nothing. We let the inconvenience of caring rob us of the rewards of becoming involved. Who knows when the person you minister to in Christian love will turn out to be a dear friend -- a "beloved" one? And what greater incentive could we have to show love than the example of our Saviour and the teachings of the Word of God?
John, the Apostle of Love, wrote, But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17,18).
I can think of no greater joy than to get involved spiritually with people. How wonderful to lead someone to Christ and see changes begin to take place in his life. What a thrill it will be to see that dear one in heaven!
That's why Dr. Van Impe and I just cannot give enough these days -- of our time, our talents, our best efforts, or our personal funds -- to get involved with people crying out for spiritual help.
We care! We are involved. And, oh, how we are blessed!