Hold on like a Cat

All of life is holding on to some things and letting go of others. What do you hold onto that  makes too much demand on you? What should be experienced and then let go?
Consider the philosophy of a cat. They own everything, and nothing. And it works out pretty well for them. 

Transcript

I looked out the window this morning and saw my neighbor’s cat strolling along our front sidewalk. I remembered again, our neighbor that owns this cat say, “She never crosses the street.” That neighbor lives across the street from us. But we know (unless they are confined to a house) that cats go wherever they want; they kind of own the neighborhood. They are responsible to and for very little, but they do pretty much whatever they want.  

It made me reflect on the fact that cats own everything and nothing. The brashness of a cat is that they create their own territories, and they investigate anything that arouses their curiosity.  But then at the end of the day they go home. So, they act like everything is theirs, but they walk away and leave it all when they are done. 

It’s not a bad model for living. There is a great big world out there for us to explore. A curious interest in things beyond ourselves can open up our perspective. If you go walk and notice a beautiful sky, you can’t really own it but for a moment it is yours to enjoy. People, places, and things can be experienced, if we are paying attention, even while not owning them or trying to control them. 

Think about the things you do own. What if you hold onto them lightly, so you don’t cling hard to them and try to micromanage? Then they can be enjoyed and are not a burden. Some people I know have bought brand new cars lately. They are expensive these days, even if you don’t buy a luxury model. But as soon as you drive a car away from the dealership, you can dent, scratch or otherwise damage it and it is all on you. One guy took his car for its first car wash. He drove in and felt something shove the car over as it pulled through the sudsy spray. Afterward he found two small chunks out of the chrome wheels; this was its very first car wash! Another car owner parked his car in his driveway; he has no garage or carport. He had the car two weeks, and a storm came through and knocked limbs off his neighbor’s tree into his car. The brand-new car now has dents in the roof! 

These car owners were understandably upset. They could get very angry, demanding restitution, or obsessing on the unfairness. They might even be disillusioned with the cars and want to get rid of them because they are no longer perfect. But if they hold onto these cars lightly, they can be disappointed but not blown away by the damages done.

When we hold our possessions lightly, we own and enjoy what we have. When we cling hard to whatever it is, it begins to own us. We must go often to the condo we bought because we are paying out all this money for it. The boat or camper that is sitting in our driveway demands we use it. You bought clothing or jewelry that cost so much you must wear it so people will complement you on your wealth, and you won’t feel money was wasted. But if you didn’t attach your soul to these items, you are not personally affected by the demands they seem to make. 

This principle applies to more than stuff. It includes accomplishments, preferences, and habits. If you hold life lightly, the things that change your preferred ways don’t blow you away. A friend created an organization and saw it grow to great success. Lots of people were affected and lots of money was raised. Then came the day he retired. Anticipating retirement he said, “one day you’re something, the next day your nobody.” In retirement he’s comfortable but he doesn’t have the power or influence he once had. He could get very angry, demanding attention, or obsess on the unfairness of his new situation. Or, if he held all this lightly, then it is just a new phase of life. 

And we ordinary people face the same thing in many big and small ways. The store you go to is out of your favorite brand of product; what do you do? Your child doesn’t thank you for all the effort you put into a project just for them; what do you do? The traffic pattern suddenly changed on your way to work, and you can’t go the way you are used to going; what do you do?

Life is a gift. If we come at it with gratitude and openness to surprise, it will bless us. If we come at it with unbending expectations, we will be disappointed, and probably angry. But our demands for the world to go the way we want it to go won’t change the world, it will just take away our joy and make us bitter. 

Take a few moments to get comfortable and relax. Consider anything you may be holding onto tightly. Or anything you feel compelled to think about constantly. Try this simple exercise: tighten your fists. If you can, tighten both, but even if you can only tighten one, do that. Tighten your fist and keep it very tight. Don’t loosen up. Notice how this feels to your hand, your wrist, arm, shoulder and the rest of your body. Do you feel the tension spread? Keep holding it tight. Would you say that you are enjoying this or is it becoming painful? Ask yourself: Is there a goal, a person, a possession that I hold onto this tightly? What comes to mind? Now let go. The relaxing of tension anywhere feels good so if you have really held your fist tight for all this time, it feels good to let go. Letting go your attempts to control things, situations, or people feels good too. Of course, we want to impact our world, but we truly can’t control it. Letting go to God is a wonderful way to see better results than when we try to keep it tightly held in our closed fist. 

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:9:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.