Them There Cats Need Baptizing

I find it a little sad that our young folks are missing out on so much of the good from the “good old days.” And, by the good, I don’t mean the cotton chopin’, the hay haulin’, or the corn pickin’. And, Lord knows I don’t mean the baths once a week in a number two washtub, or, even trips to the outhouse. By good, I mean the slower times when sitting outside shellin’ peas or huskin’ corn, folks took interest in what was going on. Folks had time to sit and talk to one another.
The other day, I saw in the eyes of a young child, hurt and anger that didn’t belong in the innocent of eyes of one so young. The pain and loneliness of this child seeped in and settled deep within my being. And, I began to wonder just where have all our happy children gone? Where have their imaginations gone? As adults, what have we done to these little ones?
What we need is more humor. I think that would cure a great deal of the things that tears apart the world we live in. But, for some reason we find ourselves suppressing humor, especially church humor. Sometimes, we get so caught up trying to be “uppity” or religious we forget to use one of God’s greatest gifts to us… the gift of laughter.
Think about it? When was the last time you had one of those good old belly laughs. You know, the ones that make you hurt all over, the ones that takes you breath away and makes you cry.
I truly believe God has a wonderful sense of humor. We have to only watch a child to remind us of God’s laughter.
It really hasn’t been that many years when many of our small rural churches held baptismal services down at a nearby pond or shallow creek. These baptismal services held out in God’s natural creation were wondrous spiritual experiences.
With progress, the modern indoor baptistery found its way into these rural sanctuaries. I truly believe this, too, was a miracle sent from heaven.
A friend’s four-year-old son watched intensely as the baptistery was put to use one Sunday night. After the evening preaching service, the pastor called for all that were to be baptized that night to come forward.
The little boy watched as, one by one, each candidate were led into the water, taken under, and lifted up. The child was mesmerized by the whole scene. Not a word was spoken, but his eyes soaked in the scene down to the tiniest detail.
Later in the week, the youngster and his mother were visiting with his grandmother. The two ladies went about their business of canning corn. The ladies would work outside preparing the corn for canning and then they would be inside for a while. The women were busy with their corn and little Johnny was busy doing whatever little boys do when they’re out from under the watchful eye of mom and grandmom.
After a while, Bessie, the old grandmother, called to her daughter, “You’d better check on Johnny. He’s too quiet.”
Before anyone could do anything, a scroungy kitten scampered across Bessie’s feet looking for refuge.
“I think he’s gotten hold of those kittens with the pinking shears,” Bessie yelled.
Bessie looked at the frightened kitten and it did indeed look like a skinned cat.
Bessie took off around the side of the house to catch little Johnny in this dastardly deed. Rounding the corner, Bessie stopped dead in her tracks and became a silent audience to the scene unfolding on the south side of the house.
There stood Johnny knee deep in a tub of water holding a poor defenseless kitten. Suddenly, Johnny lifted his left arm, as if reaching to heaven, and with his right hand he dunked the kitten into the water and shouted…
“I baptize you in the name of the fodder, the Son and the hopey ghost. We love you Jesus.”
He then threw the water logged kitten to the side and grabbed another and repeated the scene. The drenched felines lay on the ground for a moment as if catching their breaths, and then made a beeline under the house away from Johnny and his baptismal waters.
“Johnny, what are you doing?” Bessie asked.
“I’m baptizing the kittens,” he replied.
“Johnny, baptizing is for people, not cats,” she informed him.
“Why?”
“So people can see Jesus when they die,” Bessie said.
Little Johnny thought for a minute… “Well, if Jesus ever wants a pet in heaven, then these kittens will be ready.”
A child will show us the way to the place where we can laugh with God.
My heart breaks to see a child who has had the flame of laughter extinguished from their eyes. Without laughter the world is a cold and lonely place for both children and adults. Let’s take a stand. From my corner of the world, I am going to do all I can to bring laughter back to the eyes of our children. “And a child will lead them…”