Persistance in Parenting

Maggie is a mom. She is a feline mom. She had 5 kittens 5 weeks ago. Maggie is probably the best feline mom I have ever seen. Super protective and took excellent care of her kittens.

Saturday was the first "cold" day we've had since the kittens were born. Not only was it cold but it was very rainy. Shortly after breakfast I heard Maggie meowing loudly and persistently at the front door. I ignored her for awhile - and she persisted. So I took her a bit of food and mindlessly stuck it outside the door as quickly as I could. And the meowing continued. This is very unlike Maggie. She has never done this before ever. When I continued to ignore her, she started leaping up into the air as high as she could and banging against the door.

So finally, I couldn't take the noise any longer so I went out to relocate the howling mama. When I went out onto the porch though, I saw that when I opened the door, I had pushed aside a tiny kitten. She had carried the kitten up to the front door and laid him down then started to howl to get my attention.

So, I picked up the kitten and carried him through the house and out to the back porch where I placed him in a box with a towel. Previously the kittens home had been beneath the hosta's in front of the house - in the now rainy, cold elements.

I went back to my housework and soon heard the now familiar meowing/howling. So about 10 min later I went back to the door and found a 2nd kitten had been laid at the thresh hold. I took this kitten to join his brother on the back porch. Meanwhile, Maggie doesn't know where I am putting the kittens. She thinks I am taking the into the warm dry house. For you see, Maggie once lived in this house. Shortly, the meowing and howling started again and I soon found the 3rd kitten laying at my front door. I then took the last kitten and Maggie and completed the feline family circle in the warm dry box on the back porch.

The whole episode made my mind start thinking about the level of my dedication and persistence to see my children safe from the harmful elements they are living in. And ultimately, am I willing to be that persistent to my Heavenly Father in prayer for my children's soul? Is it enough to simply bring them to the Father each day and then sit back and wait to see what happens? Or should I be as persistent and dedicated as my feline friend, Maggie?