Thankfulness 2

In the Spring, a kitten was born to a lynx family. His parents named him Patch, which means noble. Patch was a happy kitten being taken care of by both parents which is rare because normally only the mom raises kittens. This Lynx family lived in North America where it gets cold and the snow is measured in feet. The region is unpredictable and sometimes cruel.

Patch grew fast. His mom fed him well, playing with his food before devouring it. He father taught and rough housed with him. He didn’t have any worries. But one day a tragic thing happened.

The snow started to melt and shift. His mom chased a rabbit.

She had almost caught the fast running rabbit when there was a loud crack. A giant shelf of snow and ice sheared off the face of a cliff. The snow and ice slid down the mountain getting bigger and bigger gathering more snow. It grew into a huge avalanche! The avalanche took everything in its wide path including the two running animals who couldn’t out run it. They didn’t have a chance of escape!

Patch’s mom died in that avalanche. His dad held him tight as he gave Patch the news. Patch cried all night. Now, there were only two of them and his dad would need to raise this young kitten. His dad, Lancel, worried how to raise Patch by himself. Male lynx don’t normally raise their young.

Lancel did his best. He hunted food for them and started training Patch. At first Patch was sad. He missed his mom. Thoughts of her purrs and smell made him sad. He even missed his bath.

For more than a week he moped around. Lancel was concerned for Patch. One day he couldn’t find Patch. He searched all around their den.

“Patch where are you? I brought food.”

“Meow, I’m up here.”

Up in a tree he spotted his son. “What are you doing up there?”

“I wanted to see our range.”

“What do you see?”

“I see trees, a meadow, lake, an eagle soaring, and high mountains.” Pointing, Patch added, “There is a herd of big animals with antlers.”

“They’re probably elk. I heard a bugle a while ago. How long have you been up there?”

“A while.”

“Are you coming down soon? I brought food for you. I thought you could practice hunting it.”

Grinning, Patch climbed down. “I’m ready. Let it go.”

Lancel released the ground squirrel. The squirrel scurried away. Patch waited then leapt on it. Lance notice this was getting too easy for Patch and he would need to make the catch larger and the chase more difficult.

“Thanks Dad, that was tasty.” Patch said as he licked his paw and rubbed it on his face.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. How about a leaping game before bed.”

They leaped around sometimes from rock to rock or on the ground. Patch tried to leap as far as possible. A stick or a rock was used as a target. One time, Patch jumped off a rock and took a tumble. Splat! He slid into a large muddy puddle.

“Are you alright?” asked his dad.

Patch giggled. “That was fun!”

Lancel shook his head. “Let’s go clean you off in the lake.”

The swim in the lake felt good after the mud bath. They climbed out and sunned on a rock to dry. “Dad, thanks for the leaping game. Falling into the mud was fun. I enjoyed swimming in the lake too. Thanks for a terrific day!”

“I bet you’re tired. I know I am. Let’s climb into our den.”

After he got settled in for the night Patch said, “Dad, our range is beautiful. I’m thankful you picked such a lovely place for us to live. There is so much to see and do. I like living here. When are you going to teach me to hunt my own food?”

Lancel laughed. “I was just thinking you should come with me tomorrow.”

“Cool!”

“You better get some sleep. It may be a long and tiring day.”

Patch’s legs twitched as he dreamt of chasing animals around the meadow.

The next day his dad gave him pointers and observed Patch seek out prey. Lancel was correct, the day was long and tiring for Patch but he was rewarded by catching a small mouse.

“Dad that was the best meal I have ever had!”

“That’s because you worked hard for it and caught it all by yourself. I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you for teaching me how to hunt. It’s fun!”

“Well, sometimes hunting is a lot of work and can be disappointing if you don’t catch anything. There are dangers too.”

Every day they hunted and Patch was becoming a competent hunter. Together they took down a small deer.

“Dad that was the best meal I have ever had!”

Amused Lancel said, “I remember hearing you say that before.”

“I mean it! Thank you for trusting me to help you.”

A few days later, snow fell from the sky. Patch ran around licking at the flakes. Lancel laughed at his antics.

“Dad this snow tastes good. Give it a try.”

Lancel laughed and stuck out his tongue. He hadn’t done that since he was Patches age. Lancel marveled at the joy Patch brought to small ordinary things.

“I love the snow!” said Patch.

“The snow run off fills our streams and the lake with water. On the other hand, snow makes it more difficult to find food. Snow is a blessing and sometimes a hardship.”

“I know, but I am still thankful for it. See how pretty the trees look with the snow on them?”

“Patch thank you for being so thankful.”

Lancel was thankful that Patch was doing so well after his mom died. Patch could have turned out differently. Patch had an amazing attitude. Lancel was proud of his almost grown kitten. Soon, Patch would be able to live on his own. He just hoped it was not too soon. He loved having him around.

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This time of year we make a habit of counting the things we are thankful for. My list is long. Do you have a list? A thankful heart is a happy heart. We should tell our loved ones we are thankful for them. The Lord wants us to be thankful. We should tell the Lord thank you for the wonderful things he has done and given us. Ultimately everything we have is from the Lord. Ephesians 1:17a Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…

Memorize one or all of the verses: Ephesians 1:17a Every good and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights…

Psalm 107:1a Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

1Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Verses in NKJV unless otherwise stated