Everyone Loves a Comeback: The Resurrection, the 1998 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, and One Tough Little Kitty

     



    Everyone loves a comeback. In this blog post we meditate on several important comebacks. The most important one is that Jesus came back from the dead, and won our salvation by defeating death. Thus we also, as Christ's followers, will overcome death and the grave. 

    To start us out, we discuss a comeback that many of us in Kentucky were thrilled by. In 1998, the University of Kentucky's Men's Basketball Team was dubbed the "Comeback Cats." In their last three games of the NCAA tournament, they overcome double digit deficits to beat the opposing team. They mastered the art of the comeback, and persevered to win the tournament. 

    The Cats 1998 season showed me that the time to give up is never. At our house, I live with my own little comeback kitty. Two years ago, my 11 pound cat (number 132 in the picture), Gabe, was hit  by a car.  For several months his tongue stuck out of his mouth, and he could not chew. However, God did a miracle. None of Gabe's bones were broken. Even so, his little life hung in the balance because he could not eat. We fed him pureed cat food for about two weeks until he began to eat solid food again.  In amazement, the vet noted that he had gained a pound when we brought him in for an evaluation.

    

    Gabe is a comeback cat. He came from the brink of death, and disfiguration to win some honors at the Kentucky Colonels Abyssinian Devotees Cat Show in Louisville, Kentucky.  Although, he did not take the top prize, he placed in two out of six rings of judging. He earned 6th best cat in one ring, and 9th best cat in another.  His kitty sister Brie (number 143) took 6th in one ring, and 7th best cat in another.  However, the real star of the show was Gabe. Many people noticed his gorgeous looks, and calm personality. He ministered in his capacity to all those spectators, who just wanted to pet a pretty kitty. The comeback kitty who experienced God's healing, now helps to heal others through his calming presence.

    


   
    
    Yet in all our reminiscing, let us remember that our Lord and Savior is the master of the comeback. He came back from the grave.  Unlike Gabe who came back from the brink of death, Jesus actually died, and rose again. Yet this similarity with Gabe's accident, was not lost on me. Gabe's bones were not broken, but neither was Jesus's bones (Psalm 34:20).  
    
    If we bear then any resemblance to our master, Jesus Christ, we can also overcome obstacles, just as he did. We're spiritually wired to be "Comeback Cats." Jesus overcame death itself. If we remain in Christ, we shall overcome death as well. "The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. If the same Holy Spirit lives in you, He will give life to your bodies in the same way" (Romans 8:11-13). Similarly, we triumph over adversity.  Paul writes, "Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.… "(Galatians 6:9-10).  

    Take what you may, miracles that allow us to overcome horrible odds do happen.  If we in Christ, we all are looking for the ultimate comeback of our lives.  We look toward our comeback over death, made possible only by Christ the Lord.



Blessings in Christ,


Jane Shoemaker

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Word Searches and Visions: The Creative Process

Image
      Today, I am working on a word search called "Create Your Visions." It's from a Bob Ross coloring and activity book for adults.  Some words in it are "inspire, creation, creativity, imagine, dream, vision." The term, "desire," is not, however, one of those words. Nevertheless, desire is at the heart of the creative process. We desire to inspire others. We want to create. Our dreams flow from our hearts.  So desire is the foundation for the creative process. The words, "inspire, dream, imagine, etc" follow from our internal desires.       As I thought about what it means to be a creative person, Psalm 37 came to mind. Psalm 37:4 is a call to dream and vision alongside God. The psalmist proclaims, "T ake delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."       In our culture, we often think that God does not want us to desire. Perhaps this misconception of God stems from the prevalence of Eastern phil...
Read more

From Stray to Emotional Support Animal: The Repurposing of Alani Shoemaker

Image
     The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15, NIV      On August 31, 2022, our lives forever changed. We adopted our first puppy dog as a family. Our new pet was a scrawny, black-and-white Belgian Malinois mix from the local animal shelter. We prayed for God to send us the right one. Out of all of the dogs there, she was the one who came wagging her tail and licking our hands. Thus our adoption of Alani Shoemaker was complete. Now she has the privilege of being dressed up occasionally in costumes and winter coats. She's taken to festivals and even vacationed in the Great Smoky Mountains to receive her Bark Ranger badge. So is the life of a Shoemaker pet.           While I recognize that a blog on animals is a stretch for a repurposing blog dealing with crafts, there is ...
Read more

The Legend of the Dogwood: Reminders of Jesus's Precious Blood

Image
      This week my family and I had the privilege to celebrate my birthday with a one-day trip to the Great Smoky Mountains national park. The Smoky Mountains belong in my heart as the most sacred of places. The Cherokee knew they were unique and called them the Land of Blue Smoke.     This week the dogwood trees were in bloom. There is a well-known tale in the American South of the dogwood tree. The story goes that Jesus's cross was made from dogwood. The dogwood was the greatest of trees, but because it was used as Jesus's cross, it was cursed and blessed at the same time. It became spindly, yet the flower would become a cross symbol. There are four petals in a cross shape on the tree, and they are tinged with red, the character of blood. They are symbols of Jesus's cross and the shedding of his blood.     Now dogwood trees are not native to Israel, so it is doubtful that the actual cross of  Jesus was made from dogwood.   Yet the lege...
Read more