The Mired Kitten

One day Mum went to town. When she arrived home in the evening she happened to take a walk down by the barn,–and as she was walking she heard a faint “meow”. On searching to find the source of the sound she found a kitten. But; O, what a plight!!

A man of the farm had a barrel of tar, and for some reason the tar had spilled and become a large black pool of sticky gum on the ground. The kitten had wandered into this muck and become mired-stuck.

Since Mum was dressed in her town clothes she went to get Sis, who immediately went to the scene. Sis was horrified and thought that they would have to kill the kitten – because how on earth could the kitten be delivered from this thick sticky muck that it was buried in?

Nevertheless she reached down and pulled the kitten from the tar, fearing that the kitten would be pulled in pieces as it was sucked out of the thick gooey mess. Holding the tarred kitten, she went to Mum.

Mum immediately said, “We must clean up that kitten.” Sis did not know how.

Mum called the vet, who suggested oil.

So together Mum and Sis spent hours rubbing the tar with oil, dissolving it and cleaning it off with paper towels. The kitten was terrified by the whole experience, and its little heart was beating wildly. Finally, towards 2 a.m. the kitten was getting cleaner and cleaner, and Sis was very tired. Mum suggested she go to bed. Mum stayed by the kitten a while longer until it was very clean, and fed, and bedded it down.

The next day the kitten was as playful as ever, and none the worse for its terrifying experience. If you ever feel utterly mired in sin, in which struggling does no good, remember, a Higher Power will pull you out and clean you up and set you right. “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.” Psalm 40:1-3.
AMEN

Kathleen Ross, Alberta, Canada