Friday, April 13, 2007

My absolutely incredible sacrificing husband



So, here's the story.

Mark has a cat. He's had Lewis for seven years. Lewis is a good cat really. He doesn't require a lot of attention from me at least. But he does like to be wherever Mark is in the house. Early on in marriage, I did set a boundry that Lewis could not sleep in or on our bed. So, he didn't and got over that relatively quickly.

I've had cats my whole life. There was Snowball, Frisky, the one that had kittens on my bed in the middle of the night (can't remember its name), Tasha (born on my bed in the middle of the night), Angie's cat Sissy, a few others that I can't remember thier names, and last but not least Callie. The cats have lived both inside and outside. They have slept in my bed.

BUT, when I left to live in Turkey, I had to give away my kitty. Callie went to live with the Smiths in Ruston. What a sweet family to take my kitty. So, I've been pet free (and thus pet hair over everything free) for six years now. I never recognized the fact that my pets might bother other people. I never thought any of them shed hair at all, to be truthful.

Then I married this incredible man who happened to have a cat.
And that cat sheds hair.
And that makes me nearly insane.

We've talked for months now about how much I can't stand the cat hair. I'm constantly rolling the carpet and my clothes and furniture with lint rollers. All the while, I'm wishing I could just relax and not let it bother me so much. But I just can't.

A few months back Mark said, "Do you think we should try to find another home for Lewis?"

WHAT????????

I could not even imagine being the reason that someone would give up a pet. I did not want that to happen. (Mostly, I didn't want it.)

But fast forward to discussions about kids in our home one day in the future and those kids learning to crawl and them getting cat hair all over their hands and then putting their hands in their mouth . . .

And it became MORE THAN I COULD HANDLE. AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

STILL, I could not imagine asking Mark to give up the cat. But he decided that it would be the right thing to do. He began asking around, "interviewing" really to see if anyone would be a good fit for Lewis.

Enter our friend Ben.

Ben is a single guy. He doesn't mind cats and even already "knows" Lewis.

So, last night after dinner, on our date night, Mark and I loaded up Lewis and all the paraphanalia that goes along with a pet, and took Lewis to his new home.

It was slightly traumatic.

For Lewis. For Mark. For me.

Afterwards I said to my incredible husband:
"I'm pretty sure that besides Jesus and my parents, I cannot think of anyone ever making a sacrifice for me on this level solely out of love. Thank you."

He is a good man.

I am a clean freak.

We only make it work because of love and all the sacrifice that Jesus shows us.

We are all sinners. We all have hang ups that must just make God so frustrated with us. But He still chose to sacrifice His Son, His true love, for us.

Thank you Mark for showing me Jesus.

8 comments:

Deanna said...

What a sweet husband! I agree about the cat hair and I am also allergic to cats. I have had dogs though and know how sad it is to give them away. Gecmis olsun.

Kristie Johnson said...

What a great husband! When are you going to move him to the south? We need you here!!

love you,
kj

a likens said...

I think Sissy had the kittens in your bed. She has the devil litter also. Tosha belong to the black and white cat in the barn and was the only one saved from the wrath of Jack. I do remember all of this... I think there may have been a Missy in there somewhere?
Now you can get a dog. Short haired. They are great with children. Protective and they can't jump in a baby bed...

ang said...

Hmmm....maybe I need to get Mark to read your blog. I am trying to talk him into a cat. :) We are presently pet-free after almost 20 years of marriage. You know we have had lots of cats, too, and our only cat that shed tons was Homeboy, a Siamese, I wonder if it is something about that breed?

Rmomof3 said...

While I can't relate to the love of a cat or cats in general. I can relate to the complete sacrifice of your beloved. Yes, Mandy, I believe that you have a keeper!

Anonymous said...

hey mark your one great guy!
I too gave up our beloved Alex the cat, she was such a comfort to me back in the early nineties, then enters my Truelove, Alex had to go out side and that was okay, Truelove built a cage sort of thingy for her because my dog Mak did not like her at all. Later on Alex went to live with God.
But now my heart is full of love for my Lord and family .
I gave up smoking also so the reward was greater for me...AMEN

Anonymous said...

Mandy B - Hello from the Cate family in Minden! Got your link off the Johnson's website and it is so good to know you are well! We are all well - we have a myspace page if you want to see pics of the growing fam... take care! Whitney

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Don't know what to think about Ben adopting the cat. The name Lewis Bradley just sounds a little too good for a cat. I know, I know, it's a great cat, but still...