Jingle Bells and Job Moments

Mabel’s birthday was a TOUGH day. After having our cat “Christmas Jingle Bells” for about a week, the owners changed their minds and came to our house to take the cat back.

This was not a cultural misunderstanding or some problem with language barrier. Our local helper was here when we got the cat and was here when it was taken back. So here’s the terrible story:

I had taken the three kids by myself to a play place to help celebrate Mabel’s birthday. We had a great time. Kids were excellent. Played together well and had lots of fun. We shopped for last minute Christmas things. We ate a treat. Then, we got home to find a lady holding our “Christmas Jingle Bells” telling us that her pre-teen granddaughter missed it, was crying, and so they wanted it back. I knew right away that despite the unfairness of the situation, they were going to take the cat.

People here are usually extremely polite and nice especially to kids, but this lady was not. She was mean, rude, and was breaking her own culture’s rules on these things. It was awkward. Painful. A jolting experience. They didn’t even let the kids say goodbye. They left with the cat abruptly practically running away down our street.

Mabel started crying loudly. And then, so did I. Not about the cat, really, but about the injustices our kids have to suffer all the time it seems like. It’s true that it’s just a cat. But our kids already have to give up so many big things living here, it felt so unfair that they have to give up little things too.

My sweet Mabel is so caring, compassionate, forgiving. She asks for so little and is delighted by such simple gestures of love. And what are the chances that in a culture where strays are everywhere and aome people barely even feed or care for their animals, somehow these people want the cat they freely gave us back?

Ya’ll, I could not stop crying. I was so sad for my Mabel and so mad that this was happening to her on her birthday. I try so hard to make holidays and birthdays fun even though they are times when I feel so isolated and lonely. Taking the cat felt like a personal attack on me, too.

I knew I needed to control my emotions, so we could cheer up Mabel. I told Mabel what happened was mean and unfair. We said a little prayer for Christmas Jingle Bells to be well cared for and asked Jesus to help us not be sad. But, I still couldn’t stop crying. I handed Mabel over to Daniel finally and I went in my room and cried and complained out loud to God. Why are things just so unfair for our kids sometimes? So cruel? Why did this terrible ugly thing have to happen on my sweet Mabel’s birthday? Why are we asked to give up so much–the big things and the little things— when it seems like others give up so little?

Yes, I know it was just a cat. Not life or death. Not true pain and suffering, right? I guess sometimes these little things are what bother me so much about life here, though. Can’t we at least have the little things go our way?

So, while I was praying and whining and having my Job moment with God over our taken cat and the frustrations my kids have to deal with here on a daily basis, Daniel was trying to calm Mabel down by watching the movie Frozen with her. And it was going pretty unsuccessfully.

Maybe an hour had passed since the cat was taken, and Mabel kept saying that she was “worried about Jingle Bells” and “nothing could cheer up her heart.” :-(

And of course, we had other responsibilities to deal with, too. Daniel needed to eat lunch and get back to work. Mabel said she wanted to be alone, so we went downstairs and left her big 4 year old self to deal with another loss.

I couldn’t eat and I still couldn’t stop crying. I think our helper who was still here thought I was crazy crying for that cat. But I was crying for my Mabel.

We have virtually no privacy here, so we weren’t surprised that all the neighbors saw the whole thing happen. We were surprised when a motorcycle taxi driver who sits across from our house all day knocked on the door and brought Mabel “Jingle Bells Jr.”

Mabel managed to cheer right up. We had cupcakes and ice cream last night, opened presents, and the day was salvaged.

However, I was still so upset last night that I didn’t sleep well, and I’m still trying to get over the whole ordeal today.

Would you pray that I’d have a forgiving heart like my Mabel? Would you thank God with me for the good man who came to a little girl’s rescue on her birthday? Would you pray that the new cat will be with us for a long time, not running away or dying or being taken from us? Would you pray for us to be light and salt here even on the tough days?