Hope and Blessings

"Hello, my name is Johnny Cash..."

My wee barn cat, Johnny, out for a walk on the footing forms for my new shop.

Johnny showed up, out of the blue, a couple of years ago....he was just a tiny little thing....

with a raspy voice.

He decided to stick around...as a hired hand.

Little Johnny Rocket's favorite activities...

greeting me each and every morning (from outside the back door) with a, "Where is my breakfast?" hello

nudging and head butting and purring and lovin' so much that it was impossible to feed him without getting feeling nudged and loved

snoozing in the sun under his favorite poppy

coming first thing when I call out to him...leaping and bounding over the neighbor's fence

criss-crossing in front of my feet and following me around...everywhere...

waiting at the end of the drive-way for me to come home from an errand

jumping up in the SUV as I try to unload an entire Costco and Target load of goodies

making a mad dash into the house and heading straight for the indoor kitty food as I try to unload an entire SUV full of goodies

waiting for me in a planter...on a table...on the split-rail fence...as I work around the garden

curling up outside on the welcome mat as I work in the shop

greeting visitors

and

creating his very own art experiences

Yes...

last St. Patrick's Day, Johnny hopped up off of his perch to follow me out to the nursery...but he made a little stop along the way....

That's right.

He stopped and made a little snow angel.

: )

And then one day last Spring... 3 days before my birthday, to be exact...

Johnny didn't greet me in the morning.

He didn't come when I called him or leap and bound over the fence.

He didn't nudge and love on me as I put out the barn kitty food.

No, he didn't.

But I kept looking, and looking, and calling...

I thought I'd looked everywhere...and then I looked again.

I found him....

curled up under his favorite poppy.

 : (

He was gone.  Now, I choose to believe that animals go to heaven...why wouldn't they?  So, I take comfort in thinking that little Johnny is keeping my precious daddy company in heaven....following him around...giving him little nudges as he sings praises to the Lord.

My friend Olivia's husband came right over and helped me with Johnny....we placed him in his favorite spot...right next to the poppy....well, Glen did.  It was difficult getting used to not having Johnny underfoot...jumping into everything.  And then one day, as my mom was going up the front steps, she said...

"Julie, look!"

Some new little flowers were growing at the base of the steps.

Little Johnny Jump-Ups!!!

Isn't God funny?  He is so creative in the way He shows us little bits of hope and beauty in times of sorrow.  Losing Johnny is a sad thing, but I know the devastation of losing my precious daddy.  I live with it every day.  {I originally posted this in 2010,  last summer, we lost my big brother, Bryan, too.}  I will not, however, even begin to assume that I can comprehend the pain of those who have lost so much...so suddenly...over the past week.  May God bless them as they deal with the physical and emotional pain with which they are dealing.  May He send others to comfort them in their time of numbness and uncertainty.  May they see that there is hope.

Have you encouraged anyone today?

My dear friend Marcia is an "ambassador" for the Hands and Feet Project

To learn more about the Hands and Feet Project and their blessed work with orphaned children (including many newly orphaned little ones) in Jacmel, Haiti, and their outpouring of aid to their neighbors in need after the earthquake, please visit:

http://handsandfeetproject.org/

http://www.facebook.com/hfproject?ref=nf

Gate to the Children's Village

Thank you!

All Haiti photos via Marcia

God bless you!

: )

Julie M.

ps  Samaritan's Purse is another wonderful humanitarian organization doing blessed work in Haiti ~ http://www.samaritanspurse.org/

pps  I'm participating in A Southern Daydreamer's 54th Outdoor Wednesday!