Of Saving Cats and Saving Souls
A fairly interesting football game over the weekend was overshadowed by a few moments of excitement in the stands. As the Miami Hurricanes struggled to defeat Appalachian State, the attention of a large number of the fans was drawn to something happening away from the field.
A cat was somehow hanging from the upper deck and unable to climb back up. Fans in the upper deck tried to reach out to the cat, but that only scared the feline. Some fans below were formulating a plan, though. They had brought an American flag to the game–it was the 20th anniversary of 9/11, after all–and unrolled it, holding it underneath the dangling cat.
They held the flag up for between two and three minutes before, finally, the cat leg go of the upper deck and fell. But since the fans on that lower deck of seating had been ready, the cat was caught in the flag safely and was taken from the stadium safely by workers.
It was a small incident, and it did not take all that long, but it also showed a lot of work and ingenuity to save a cat. Further, this little incident may give us some insight into some things to remember as we seek to do something infinitely more important than saving a feline; that is, saving souls.
- You Never Know When Opportunities Will Present Themselves. I really don’t think those fans went to a college football mind thinking, “You know what? Today, we’re going to save a cat’s life in the stadium!” When it comes to winning souls, we never know when there will be an open door to say a word or make an invitation, so we need to have our eyes open at all times.
- One Is Important Enough. It was just one cat. There are skillions of cats. Why worry about that one? Because it was one! Of eternal significance is each individual soul. You may not help to save hundreds or even dozens, but each soul is worth the effort, because each soul is of more value than the entire world.
- It Takes a Plan. The couple had to think quickly in order to realize they had something safe in which to catch the cat if/when it fell, but they formulated a plan and it worked. When it comes to saving souls, individuals need to realize their strengths and weaknesses and play the role that they can play. We need to think about what we will say and look for materials that we can best use to give to someone or to study with someone.
- It (Usually) Takes More Than One Person. Two people had to hold the flag, and some workers had to escort the cat out to safety. Winning souls usually takes teachers, encouragers, and lots of people praying for the lost soul. One person may be the “primary” contact, but the more people who are helping and praying, the better things usually go.
- It’s Worth the Inconvenience. It took the attention of the fans away from the game for awhile, and a couple had to hold up a flag for a couple of minutes, which had to get tiring. In the end, though, it was worth it. Winning souls is rarely a straightforward and “clean” process. It usually is a bit messy and often inconvenient. It can mean interrupted schedules, answering difficult (and sometimes slightly embarrassing) questions, and (sometimes) rejection. But when a soul is saved? It’s worth it all.
We will go to great lengths to save a cat at a football game. To what lengths will you go to help save a soul? Will you start looking for opportunities–which are likely all around you–even today?
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
