More From Chad Zeleny

I'm a dog lover, so I was less than thrilled when my daughter and wife thought it would be a good idea to take in a stray kitten that appeared on our doorstep a several years ago.  Charlie, the stray kitten, became our third family pet, to go along with our dogs Sophie and the late Lucy.  Charlie and I didn't always get along very well, but after a year or two she settled in and became part of the family. 

Needless to say, I felt bad when I left the door open one day and Charlie got out (she hadn't been outside since we took her in as a kitten).  Lots of searching and handing out fliers to our neighbors proved unsuccessful.  Every day the family prayed for her safe return.  I decided that putting out a few live traps wouldn't hurt — I managed to catch two raccoons, an opossum, and the same stray black cat twice before Charlie found her way into one of the traps late one night.  She was a definitely skinnier, but in good health.  Since her return, almost two years ago now, Charlie thinks we are best friends.  She rubs against my legs every morning; every night, like clockwork, she seems to find my lap as I sit on the couch. 

It's interesting to see how God works in our lives.  I'm not really a writer and had never thought about writing a devotional, much less about a stray cat that was taken in by our family.  But it's no surprise that God can use the unexpected to grow God's kingdom.  Even though I'm a dog lover, I'm thankful Charlie came into our home so that God could use this story as a way to share a message about the abundant grace God freely gives to all.  God is good all the time and all the time, God is good.