jarcats_tale

Jar Cat’s Tale, by Gini Kittle

Among the treasures displayed on the shelves of my family room bookcases is Jar Cat. She is a white, tan, and black piece of art that I have had for years and is very precious to me. While she has a special place in my heart, I’m not sure she’d ever win a blue ribbon in any art competition. What makes Jar Cat so special to me is that she was one of my daughter Anna’s very first real art projects. She took a glass jar, decoupaged it and painted it to look like our calico cat, Ginger. When Anna brought it home, she was so proud of what she had made. Jar Cat has been cherished by me for all these years not because she’s such a beautiful work of art, but because she was made by my daughter. That, in itself, makes Jar Cat more valuable to me than if she were breath-taking or made by a world-renown artist.

We need to remember that Father God looks at our lives the same way. Too often we get so frustrated with ourselves when the things we try to do for Him don’t turn out quite as “beautiful” as we thought they would. But Father God looks at the things we do for Him the same way I look at the things my children did for me — through the eyes of love. Anything we even attempt to do for God pleases Him and brings Him joy. No matter if it turns out brilliant or seems to miss the mark, Father God will treasure for all times His child doing it for Him. “The Lord your God is in your midst … He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy” (Zephaniah 3:17).