I Left a Scar on Jesus

His name is Lover Boy. He's an orange tabby cat with white splashes on his face and paws. When I went into the pet adoption place, I went in looking for a puppy and instead I walked out with two kittens. Don't tell him but he was kind of lucky we brought him with us. My eye was on his sister Princess.

Long story short, I had given away an orange girl tabby years ago during my pregnancy months. The thought of having another orange tabby would only remind me of my regret about giving her away to another family. But when I looked at Princess, she was beautiful. She had a golden spot over her eye that caught my attention, and I just couldn't help but notice she and Lover Boy were cuddling and enjoying their nap together.

I felt bad about separating them, so when the lady asked me if I wanted to see anyone else, I told her to bring him too, just for me to consider. I told myself, one boy cat for my son, and one girl cat named Princess for my daughter who I regularly called Princess and her name translated actually means princess.

I didn't change their names. I thought perhaps they already identified with them. I wonder who named them. Lover Boy definitely was a great name for him. He was always snuggling with his sister, and eventually with us. He is usually always near us or at an arm's length away when he doesn't want to be disturbed.

Fast-forward four years, I thought to myself, "he would never hurt me". Boy was I wrong. The thing about pets is that you always have to respect the fact that they will always have survival, wild instincts in them. And claws. Sharp claws.

My cats started scratching a lot, and my son noticed what seemed to be fleas on Lover Boy. "Great, not this again". We had gone through a flea problem last summer. I was not wanting to give them another bath. So I thought, let me just find the fleas and skip the baths.

It was probably 15 minutes in and Lover Boy had been patient enough. I let him go and decided to reward him with catnip. I wrongly thought to myself, "He's calm now, let me keep going." Turns out for some cats, especially boy cats, catnip can cause them to become aggressively violent. I learned that lesson the hard way.

Not more than a couple of minutes of trying to kill a flea, he did something he had never done before: he hurt me badly.

It was so not him. He didn't just scratch me like a normal scratch. He attacked me with one punch on my upper lip. The hit was strong and deep. It hurt so bad, I actually cried to release the tension I felt in that moment of how strong the pain felt. I then saw a small puddle of blood on my hand and realized it was bad. I didn't know if it was a bloody nose, but once I rinsed it, I could see the deep scratch.

I knew this was a different kind of scratch so I rushed over to a nearby Urgent Care to see if I'd need stitches. (After I used a few choice words on Lover Boy...)

I was so angry at Lover Boy in that moment. It really took me over a week, maybe 2 or 3 honestly. It's not the same. I'm not sure if we trust each other like we used to anymore. I learned my lesson, and I take full responsibility for what happened.

Still, the cat named Lover Boy had done something not loving to me. He forever has left his mark on me in a not great way. But I have forgiven him and accepted this mark on my face will most likely be there for good.

It still stings a bit when I smile. And at first I felt embarrassed. The looks on people's faces reminded me how bad that scar was. I was worried especially when my sweet little niece asked me what happened to my face. I hoped I wasn't scary looking now to her.

If I had the choice, I would erase my scar, as if it never happened. You know who probably could have done something like that and didn't? Jesus.

After dying on the cross, Jesus appeared to his disciples and showed one in particular, Thomas, his wounds. They were still there even though Jesus had a new resurrected body.

I have forever left my mark on Jesus. You have forever left your mark on Jesus. Not in a good way. And yet Jesus has forgiven us, and extends so much love and trust towards us. He calls us to fall in line and follow him. But still, he loves us in a way only our Maker could love us his repentant creatures who he created to be loved by Him.

Perhaps this new scar on my face can serve as a reminder about how Jesus has a mark on him too, and still loves, trusts, and forgives me.

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By the way, my sweet and funny sister reminded me with this picture that perhaps I should've remembered I was messing with a lion ;)