by Stan Mitchell

Do you remember that marvelous advertisement that had a bunch of cowboys herding cats? Thousands of cats ran helter skelter across the prairie, with those hapless men in chaps waving their hats and yelling, "Git along little kitties!"

The words "cats" and "orderly," do not usually appear in the same sentence! Cats are independent, unwilling to be trained, taught, or led. Did you ever see a cat bring in a pair of slippers? Have you ever heard of a "seeing eye cat," a "sheep cat" or a "watch cat," or one that would even acknowledges his name? A friend has the theory that all cats think their name is "Dinner time."

Our cat, as empty-headed a ball of fluff as any, would survive in the wild exactly six minutes. She is uncoachable, uncontrollable, yet dependent on us for nourishment, protection, and shelter. Not that she would acknowledge any of it, or express gratitude of any kind! I notice that every time it rains, though, our little bundle of indifference saunters in again, making herself at home on the most freshly laundered clothing!

There is a book on leading the church entitled, "Herding Cats." In churches, everyone wants to be nourished, pampered, and allowed to sleep for days on end. No one wants to be directed, corrected, or trained in righteousness. We expect and never thank, we wander all over the neighborhood yet expect attention on demand, and if the food in the old kitty dish is not the finest cuisine, we "walk" next door, or down the street requesting neighbors to give us what we want.

All of which is to say that as members of the church, we should expect more of ourselves than the average tabby. We should make the job of our elders easier, the success of our church more assured.

"Obey your leaders, and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work may be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you" (Hebrews 13:17).