The Faith in Princess Baugh by Brad Baugh

The post below is by Brad Baugh. Brad and Veronica Baugh are new to Jasper and to FUMC. I am allergic to cats but could not be more pleased at getting to know them. (But maybe not hanging out with the cat.......) Thanks Brad from sharing this:

Ashley, at four years old, was at that age where she felt she just needed a pet to take care of. My dad, having nursed several strays back to health, had been blessed with an abundance of friendly felines that had made his residence their home. At any rate, being a good grandfather, he decided to bring us one of his friendliest companions so that my little girl could have her very own kitty. Unfortunately, this cat was a young tom cat, probably 2-3 years old, and did not take too well to being suddenly relocated.

"Buddy", as he was called, immediately bolted upon being let out of his carrier. We coaxed him back with some fresh food and water. Our daughter was disappointed at not being able to hold and pet her new kitty, but we assured her that he was just nervous and would calm down with a little time and some space. He did calm down and allowed us to pet him. However, after a few days, we only saw him late in the evenings or early morning. Then he disappeared altogether. My daughter seemed to take it well. She was sure he was just playing in the woods behind our house, intending to come back soon. Before long, Buddy was no longer mentioned and was assumed forgotten.

About two months after Buddy’s vanishing, Ashley’s preschool had a representative from the Humane Society come to visit to talk about animal rescues. My wife, Veronica, took the unused cat food and other supplies with our daughter to donate to the Humane Society. Quietly explaining the donation to Ms. Sharon, Veronica hoped the exchange would go unnoticed by Ashley. As children are prone to do, she overheard the discussion anyway, and informed all who were listening that she, in fact, had a cat named Buddy. To which her teacher, apparently unknowing of Buddy's true fate, replied, "Yes, sweety, we pray for your cat every day."

Veronica was floored, as was I when she relayed the day's events to me that evening. But that is not the end of the story.

The very next day, I walked in from work to find a full house. Some friends had come over with their two children who were about the same age as ours. All four children, two at 4 years old and two at about 1 year old, were hovering over a cardboard box in the middle of the kitchen floor and my two little girls were squealing with delight. When I looked into the box to see what the fuss was all about, I saw a cute little calico kitten staring back at me with a mix of fear and hope in her eyes. Our friends had been on their way to our house to visit and happened to pass by a large dog playing with something. They quickly realized that the something was a tiny kitten, about 4 weeks of age, and that it was about to become a scooby-snack. They stopped and managed to persuade the dog to give up his toy.

And now here she was. I was not thrilled at the prospect of having to raise this kitten. At only four weeks old, she would require a lot more work than I was prepared to invest in a pet. After negotiating with my wife, she agreed to perform the necessary "mothering" jobs, such as encouraging the kitty to go the potty. After some further contemplation, I decided that this little kitten just might be God’s answer to my little girl’s prayer. Who could argue with that? We took the kitty to the veterinarian the next day for de-worming and a check up (she was too young for any shots).

Princess Baugh, as she was named by our oldest, has turned out to be a great blessing. Our daughter has learned to take care of something other than her self. It is wonderful to see both my daughters doting over the little fuzz ball. Princess has adapted quite well to life in our home. She knows to stay just out of reach of the hands of our one year old when she has that mischievous look in her eye. She is quite content to be cradled and carried around the house in the arms of our oldest. She pounces on your feet from behind the legs of the table and wrestles with your toes. She curls up on your lap when she has played herself out. She seems happy to be a part of our family, and our family seems to be all the happier for her addition.

There are several lessons that I have learned from these events. The first is that one should never underestimate the power of a child’s prayer. And it follows that one should never underestimate the importance of teaching a child to pray. At our home, we pray with our oldest daughter every night before bedtime. I encourage her to feel free to pray about anything she wants to take to God. We give thanks, we ask questions, we ask for healing and help. Much of the time, she simply repeats after me. Sometimes, however, she gets excited and whispers, "Daddy, let me say something!" She will then proceed to bring something to God that at times I had no idea was even on her mind.

Another lesson that I took from this kitty "cat-astrophe" is that blessings often do not come in the form that we expect. If our hearts are not open, we may miss them altogether. Had I not recognized God’s hand in the perfect timing of these events, or had I agreed with the part of my mind that railed against the work and aggravation of raising a kitten that should still be nursing its mother with its siblings, I would have missed the blessing God had intended for us. I would have missed the joy brought to my two daughters. I would have denied my oldest daughter the wonder of having a prayer answered.

Indeed, since Princess has come into our family, I have noticed that my daughter’s prayers have changed somewhat. She has begun to interject more with her own requests and to give thanks for more little blessings. Most important, though, is the change in the tone of her prayer. She prays with more confidence as if she has suddenly found a little bit of faith in what God can do in her life. Maybe we should rename Princess and call her Faith instead. Or maybe, we could call her Princess Faith Baugh, or just Princess, for short.

Brad Baugh
October 11th, 2007