Providence!!!

A RAY OF HOPE, A BEAM OF LIGHT

Friday, July 12, 2024
4:40 PM

(By: Karla Wagener, Happy Saint Cayetano Day, August, 7, 2024, the Saint of providence).

     "I just called to say..."
            Stevie Wonder

The biggest changes in life often happen through the simplest events.
Something extraordinary suddenly unexpectedly appears in our lives and in an instant what seemed impossible disappears, often through the most straightforward adjustments!

Change is always done through desire and effort and it is best to allow it instead of fighting it, especially when it's not exactly what we anticipated. Life is change. It will always be quite different from what we might have imagined. Somehow things turn to the better and we can only wonder at how it all came about.

In the early morning of June 13, 2024, my dog, Ruby kept barking at something in the yard. Finally, I went to see what was happening. There on the wall in a protected area was a tiny kitten hutched up and shivering, obviously frightened. She stayed frozen in place for the longest time.

For quite a long time before that I had often said I wanted a cat but didn't really expect to get one. I had even jokingly asked for one for my birthday in January.

We took her down and my euphoria was shortlived. We gave her what food we had, milk, the doggy food, bits of crackers... My daughter happened to come to visit the next day from Buenos Aires to Colon here in the north of Argentina.

We took the kitten to the Vet. "It's a female, about 3 months old and has parasites, diarrhea, and is inflamed", he informed us. "She should only eat white rice with a few kitty bites for a while and come back in a week".

For days after that I would say, "why did I ever want a cat"?  She was extremely demanding, meowing insistently for food constantly, making diarrhea poo all over, hissing at Ruby, (Ruby quite jealous and the needing special attention too); the kitten trying to get into every corner of the house... What incredible inmense superpower energy would be needed to meet the needs of the numerous demands of this tiny creature?

I laughed and cleaned up all her messes (almost everybody had to attend to her, but mostly me). I had to give her food separately from Ruby. "This is for the kitty" and "This is for Ruby". Thank goodness Ruby can understand what I say. Ruby would wait for her food. The kitten in no way was going to wait, meowing hysterically, twisting, jumping and clawing to get food.

Perhaps nothing can tire us out like a tiny needing living entity wailing for assistance. They must be attended to. I have discovered through much experience that once our dependents get enough to eat a great peace comes over everything! There is something mystical to be said in "our daily bread". If only I can transmit this revelation to all of creation!

Who knows what she went through in her tiny life... Dogs chasing her, other cats after her, lack of food, cold weather, danger, nowhere to stay, rejection?

She was a toughy and decided to rule the roost once she had the chance. She jumped at the opportunity, and insisted and whelmed over any affection given her.

It made me think of when I had been traveling alone from Ecuador, (in a study branch of the University of New Mexico) where I had been studying, to Bogota on a long weekend, oblivious to the danger. I was left in the middle of the road with my suitcase by the taxi driver who took on a more lucrative paying customer. What series of episodes caused a pretty 22 year old American woman to travel alone in South America?

Pascual from Buenos Aires, (who I had been talking to before this) saw me in this bad situation back in 1975. I noticed he was a good person. He helped me like a lost kitten. We can only imagine what went through his mind in attempting to remedy that state of affairs. Like the song, Candy by Iggy Pop says, "Life is crazy"! For some reason he took me along with him to the end of the World and we ended up in Argentina.

Pascual is the kind of person who makes sure I get what I really want and need and makes a special effort to take action in adversity. I didn't realize it at the time but over the years discovered he could fix almost anything. Now I often joke, "we go together well because I break things and he fixes them". If only he could fix our troubled, groaning world as I have so dreamed of...

Also, people tell me I have a lot of patience, peace and love. I was convinced of some un-named vocation to bring about the conversion of man but was not conscious of it, of my own weaknesses, or what a gigantic task it all would be in the details of everyday life.

I was proud and thought I was invincible (that I could go and do anything because I prayed) and thought God would take care of me in any situation. I was quite ignorant about the ways of the real world. I suppose I kind of thought I was too good to be true, or perhaps that I had a special mission in life which propelled me where only fools would tread.

I was aware that Pascual was quite crafty and mischievous,
but the worldly environment was much more dangerous so I took my chances.

So, the brave, invincible kitten has become a great joy, is cured and healthy and gives us much peace as she sits and cuddles on us. It's like a sign or ray of hope and providence on the tough road of life. She manifests what has been desired and gives us all a modal of survival. No matter how small she is, she is convinced of her importance.

With time, she is less demanding, but still makes sure she is the boss. I often wonder "just what is it she expects of me"? And "who saved who considering all she has meant to my life"?

She keeps pushing forward. "Why does she keep insisting"? And why, oh why, is she so sure of her existence?

Luckily, She is closer to Ruby every day, and has a precious stone name too, Esmeralda. It only took her a couple of weeks to settle in, but it took me almost 50 years to make me be able to do the same! Hahaha!

This is what I call the Pascua (or Easter way) of Karla on the way to Pentecost (the 50 year journey). I can only be amazed to think what Corpus Christi could simbolize for me! I feel like a worm coming out of it's cocoon! Will there be wings attached?

This solace obviously has been possible with (as the song says, "a little help from my friends"), and of course by the grace of God. It is fragile and delicate like the tiny kitten.

There are so many signs of hate and destruction nowadays. I have the desire also, like our kitten, to be a sign of hope and providence, a beam of light, in these darkest of dark times. At the very least give 'yall something to think, smile, laugh, and maybe even sing about!

We can only sing out victory in spite of old age settling in. And keep going forward on a valuable journey to an advanced age.