Ken Lovelace Ministries


I'M GLAD I OPENED THE DOOR by Lygia Lovelace Last summer, during one of the hottest months of the year, a stray, pregnant cat wandered up to our door. At first we shooed her away, thinking she must belong to a neighbor, but as she began to grow -- yet look so hungry -- we had pity on her, and began to feed her. Now, you really have to know us to appreciate this. The fact that she picked our door is a puzzle in itself. This orphan cat obviously didn't know that we are not really "animal" people. We like the idea of pets, but it never has worked well for us. We're just unlucky with pets. And because we are raising so many kids, we really have had no desire or energy to raise animals, too. And...there's the smell. All animals smell. Don't you agree? And so do our kids...so, if I had to choose between the smelly creatures that can actually live here, then I would choose our kids... And it's sad...but we even have a reputation among our friends for not being very "petsy." No one would think of offering us a pet (...well...except the kind friend who once brought us a live chick, that grew into a rooster!). We're just not good with pets! Either they escape, or we give them away. Like the macaw that Bracken got for his 8th birthday. Some of the youth from the Portuguese church we were attending in Lisbon put their money together and bought Bracken a really expensive bird. It was big, and green, and tropical looking. It was beautiful! It had a really big beak, and we were all a little afraid of it. Since we had no cage, we put the bird in a box, in Bracken's room. Then, we all left for the pet store. We bought a big cage -- quite an expensive gesture for the bird -- and we returned home, eager to give our new pet a home to live in. So...I'll never know who actually left the window open in Bracken's room while we were gone. Yep. Much to Bracken's sorrow, the bird had flown his new coop. Our green feathered friend was probably giggling with delight as he jumped from the window of our 14th floor apartment into the blue yonder. He was probably greatly relieved...he had no doubt heard the rumor that pets just don't last long at the Lovelace's... But that isn't entirely true. We did keep Jonah's pet guinea pig a long time-to the bitter end. We even were sad when we had to bury him in the woods near our home. We like guinea pigs. They DO SMELL...but they don't bite, and they eat vegetables-something I can hardly get my children to do! They don't have big sharp beaks, and they don't bark obnoxiously or shake fleas on the carpet. Hamsters are a different story! When Brooklyn and Bracken were in 1st and 3rd grade, we got them each a hamster -- Josiah (not to be confused with our little African son) and Katie. Katie must have been tired of having Josiah around, because she killed him, and promptly ate him. She started with his head. Bracken came crying to me, yelling, "Mom! I'm mad at Katie! She's eating Josiah's brains out!" What to do? We disposed of what was left of Josiah, and cleaned out Katie's cage. What was that expression on her face...loneliness? Surely not! I had no sympathy for Katie as I tightly closed the door of her cage. Well, she wouldn't be lonely for long. A few days went by. Suddenly we discovered that Katie had given birth. 8 babies?! No wonder she had been angry at Josiah! Would she eat those, too, the kids wanted to know? I had no idea. And yes, she did eat one or two...but what would we do with all those hamsters?! Well, I don't know if you've experienced hamster-raising, but those little rodents are regular Houdinis. They somehow figured out how (or was it Katie's doing?) to UN-latch the door to their cage, and 6 little babies were let loose in our home. It did seem that Katie was actually smiling at me when I noticed her babies were gone. She was curled up into a peaceful little ball in the corner of her cage, giving herself a bath. At first, I thought she had eaten them all -- but they were bigger and that would have been impossible...right...? At the time, we were having both of our bathrooms repaired and remodeled in our tiny apartment in Lisbon. Tile, debris, and sledge hammers were everywhere, along with the 3 Portuguese construction workers who were hammering from morning until night in both bathrooms. I knew the baby hamsters were alive and well when one of the men screamed like a girl and began swatting the floor. And I couldn't even explain. I didn't yet know the word for "hamster" in Portuguese. When those big men began screaming and swatting, my children began screaming and running after those terrified hamster babies...oh my! I had to laugh, to keep from crying. And Katie was totally oblivious. Before I go on with the pregnant cat story, I can't forget to mention our great pet success story -- Myrtle. We absolutely love Myrtle. Who would have thought we were turtle people? She was about the size of a half dollar when we got her, but she's since tripled her size! We bought her and another turtle for Chase's 11th birthday -- almost 2 years ago! Myrtle's companion died just a few weeks after we got them, but Myrtle has definitely become a Lovelace. Myrtle lives in a glass tank in our kitchen. She literally watches the kitchen doorway for us to walk by. Really! When she sees one of us, she begins banging her shell against the tank, to get our attention! She loves us! OK, OK, maybe she just wants to be fed, but her enthusiasm is so encouraging! Even when we drop her food into the tank, she is so excited to see us that she continues her little turtle dance until she finally discovers the food floating on the water. Then she sets about the important task of eating-the highlight of her day. And she behaves that way every time we enter the kitchen, whether she's hungry or not! Now there's gotta be a good spiritual illustration in that somewhere... ...but that's another article for another time. Anyway, back to the pregnant cat. Our neighborhood is a dangerous place for cats. We have bobcats and raccoons running wild on our streets. We've seen them! One time, the kids came running to me, saying they had found a kitten in our bushes. I pulled back the leaves where they were pointing, and thought the kitten looked odd -- a short tale, elongated body, but it was cute...sort of. Ken came out to see, and reached for the kitten. At that moment, the kitten opened its mouth and growled, showing big, sharp, bobcat teeth! We all jumped away, as the kitten escaped from our yard. And bobcats like cats -- for dinner. It's a rare cat that lives very long outside on Meadow Vista. So, we invited the poor, desperate mother-to-be inside our home. She was grateful. She loved all the kids, and happily "set up house" in our bathroom. She loved me, especially, and it was SO SWEET of her to have her 5 kittens inside our mattress on MY side of the bed. Now how did she get inside that little hole in our lining? We had been gone all day to a Promise rehearsal -- it was the middle of the night when we made our discovery! It was a bloody mess. I watched the kids gently pulling kittens out of our mattress, and placing them in a box. Their eyes were all bright with wonder. Elijah, my rough warrior child, begged over and over and over to pull out one of the kittens. I kept telling him no -- telling him that he was too young -- that he might hurt the babies, who undoubtedly were only minutes old -- but he was so disappointed, I finally agreed. I watched him "oooh and coo" as he reached for the little white one. He gently pulled her out and placed her in his tiny cupped hand as he carried her to the box. The mama cat wasn't even worried. She laid her head on my arm as I pulled her from my side of the bed, and placed her in the box. It appeared that she wasn't through giving birth. Long after the kids were in bed, Brooklyn and I stayed up and watched as the orphan cat gave birth one more time, to Colby Jack, our orange cat. You should be proud of us. We kept 2 of the kittens and found good homes for the rest of the cats God placed in our care last summer. Colby, and Vanilla Latte -- Elijah's little white kitten -- are now Lovelace's and have lived with us a whole year! Taking in that orphan mama cat last summer was the right thing for the Lovelace's to do. It was a "ministry opportunity" for our kids that made a lifetime impression on them. Though we're not very good with animals, God used our willingness to help, and He taught us some wonderful lessons -- tolerance, humility, patience, hard work, and compassion. At first, when that mama cat started "hanging around" our front door, I was annoyed. I even told the kids not to feed her, so that she would go away. But she lay on our doorstep, day after hot day, panting and pleading. I'm sorry I was so stubborn, but I'm glad that finally I agreed with the kids -- she needed someone to help her. And the lessons my kids (and all of us) learned were invaluable. Precious memories were made, and experiencing the delivery of those 5 healthy kittens, with a content mama nearby, was satisfying and rewarding. God knows what lessons we need. He also knows the qualities that are lacking in our children. As I have asked Him to teach them what they need for their lives, He has been faithful to do that. And there always seems to be a lesson in there for me, as well. Maybe some day there will be a person in need, who will show up on my children's doorsteps...maybe the compassion and humility they learned from a ragged, pregnant cat will grow and develop into a ministry of service to further God's Kingdom. Only God knows. But I'm really glad I opened that door. Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; The Lord delivers him in times of trouble. Psalm 41:1

I'M GLAD I OPENED THE DOOR
by Lygia Lovelace

Last summer, during one of the hottest months of the year, a stray, pregnant cat wandered up to our door. At first we shooed her away, thinking she must belong to a neighbor, but as she began to grow -- yet look so hungry -- we had pity on her, and began to feed her.

Now, you really have to know us to appreciate this. The fact that she picked our door is a puzzle in itself. This orphan cat obviously didn't know that we are not really "animal" people. We like the idea of pets, but it never has worked well for us. We're just unlucky with pets. And because we are raising so many kids, we really have had no desire or energy to raise animals, too.

And...there's the smell. All animals smell. Don't you agree? And so do our kids...so, if I had to choose between the smelly creatures that can actually live here, then I would choose our kids...

And it's sad...but we even have a reputation among our friends for not being very "petsy." No one would think of offering us a pet (...well...except the kind friend who once brought us a live chick, that grew into a rooster!). We're just not good with pets! Either they escape, or we give them away.

Like the macaw that Bracken got for his 8th birthday. Some of the youth from the Portuguese church we were attending in Lisbon put their money together and bought Bracken a really expensive bird. It was big, and green, and tropical looking. It was beautiful! It had a really big beak, and we were all a little afraid of it.

Since we had no cage, we put the bird in a box, in Bracken's room. Then, we all left for the pet store. We bought a big cage -- quite an expensive gesture for the bird -- and we returned home, eager to give our new pet a home to live in.

So...I'll never know who actually left the window open in Bracken's room while we were gone.

Yep. Much to Bracken's sorrow, the bird had flown his new coop. Our green feathered friend was probably giggling with delight as he jumped from the window of our 14th floor apartment into the blue yonder. He was probably greatly relieved...he had no doubt heard the rumor that pets just don't last long at the Lovelace's...

But that isn't entirely true. We did keep Jonah's pet guinea pig a long time-to the bitter end. We even were sad when we had to bury him in the woods near our home. We like guinea pigs. They DO SMELL...but they don't bite, and they eat vegetables-something I can hardly get my children to do! They don't have big sharp beaks, and they don't bark obnoxiously or shake fleas on the carpet.

Hamsters are a different story! When Brooklyn and Bracken were in 1st and 3rd grade, we got them each a hamster -- Josiah (not to be confused with our little African son) and Katie. Katie must have been tired of having Josiah around, because she killed him, and promptly ate him. She started with his head. Bracken came crying to me, yelling, "Mom! I'm mad at Katie! She's eating Josiah's brains out!"

What to do? We disposed of what was left of Josiah, and cleaned out Katie's cage. What was that expression on her face...loneliness? Surely not! I had no sympathy for Katie as I tightly closed the door of her cage.

Well, she wouldn't be lonely for long.

A few days went by. Suddenly we discovered that Katie had given birth. 8 babies?! No wonder she had been angry at Josiah! Would she eat those, too, the kids wanted to know? I had no idea. And yes, she did eat one or two...but what would we do with all those hamsters?!

Well, I don't know if you've experienced hamster-raising, but those little rodents are regular Houdinis. They somehow figured out how (or was it Katie's doing?) to UN-latch the door to their cage, and 6 little babies were let loose in our home. It did seem that Katie was actually smiling at me when I noticed her babies were gone. She was curled up into a peaceful little ball in the corner of her cage, giving herself a bath. At first, I thought she had eaten them all -- but they were bigger and that would have been impossible...right...?

At the time, we were having both of our bathrooms repaired and remodeled in our tiny apartment in Lisbon. Tile, debris, and sledge hammers were everywhere, along with the 3 Portuguese construction workers who were hammering from morning until night in both bathrooms. I knew the baby hamsters were alive and well when one of the men screamed like a girl and began swatting the floor.

And I couldn't even explain. I didn't yet know the word for "hamster" in Portuguese.

When those big men began screaming and swatting, my children began screaming and running after those terrified hamster babies...oh my! I had to laugh, to keep from crying.

And Katie was totally oblivious.

Before I go on with the pregnant cat story, I can't forget to mention our great pet success story -- Myrtle. We absolutely love Myrtle. Who would have thought we were turtle people? She was about the size of a half dollar when we got her, but she's since tripled her size! We bought her and another turtle for Chase's 11th birthday -- almost 2 years ago! Myrtle's companion died just a few weeks after we got them, but Myrtle has definitely become a Lovelace.

Myrtle lives in a glass tank in our kitchen. She literally watches the kitchen doorway for us to walk by. Really! When she sees one of us, she begins banging her shell against the tank, to get our attention! She loves us! OK, OK, maybe she just wants to be fed, but her enthusiasm is so encouraging! Even when we drop her food into the tank, she is so excited to see us that she continues her little turtle dance until she finally discovers the food floating on the water. Then she sets about the important task of eating-the highlight of her day. And she behaves that way every time we enter the kitchen, whether she's hungry or not! Now there's gotta be a good spiritual illustration in that somewhere...

...but that's another article for another time.

Anyway, back to the pregnant cat. Our neighborhood is a dangerous place for cats. We have bobcats and raccoons running wild on our streets. We've seen them! One time, the kids came running to me, saying they had found a kitten in our bushes. I pulled back the leaves where they were pointing, and thought the kitten looked odd -- a short tale, elongated body, but it was cute...sort of.

Ken came out to see, and reached for the kitten. At that moment, the kitten opened its mouth and growled, showing big, sharp, bobcat teeth! We all jumped away, as the kitten escaped from our yard.

And bobcats like cats -- for dinner. It's a rare cat that lives very long outside on Meadow Vista.

So, we invited the poor, desperate mother-to-be inside our home.

She was grateful. She loved all the kids, and happily "set up house" in our bathroom. She loved me, especially, and it was SO SWEET of her to have her 5 kittens inside our mattress on MY side of the bed. Now how did she get inside that little hole in our lining? We had been gone all day to a Promise rehearsal -- it was the middle of the night when we made our discovery! It was a bloody mess.

I watched the kids gently pulling kittens out of our mattress, and placing them in a box. Their eyes were all bright with wonder. Elijah, my rough warrior child, begged over and over and over to pull out one of the kittens. I kept telling him no -- telling him that he was too young -- that he might hurt the babies, who undoubtedly were only minutes old -- but he was so disappointed, I finally agreed. I watched him "oooh and coo" as he reached for the little white one. He gently pulled her out and placed her in his tiny cupped hand as he carried her to the box.

The mama cat wasn't even worried. She laid her head on my arm as I pulled her from my side of the bed, and placed her in the box. It appeared that she wasn't through giving birth. Long after the kids were in bed, Brooklyn and I stayed up and watched as the orphan cat gave birth one more time, to Colby Jack, our orange cat.

You should be proud of us. We kept 2 of the kittens and found good homes for the rest of the cats God placed in our care last summer. Colby, and Vanilla Latte -- Elijah's little white kitten -- are now Lovelace's and have lived with us a whole year!

Taking in that orphan mama cat last summer was the right thing for the Lovelace's to do. It was a "ministry opportunity" for our kids that made a lifetime impression on them. Though we're not very good with animals, God used our willingness to help, and He taught us some wonderful lessons -- tolerance, humility, patience, hard work, and compassion.

At first, when that mama cat started "hanging around" our front door, I was annoyed. I even told the kids not to feed her, so that she would go away. But she lay on our doorstep, day after hot day, panting and pleading.

I'm sorry I was so stubborn, but I'm glad that finally I agreed with the kids -- she needed someone to help her.

And the lessons my kids (and all of us) learned were invaluable. Precious memories were made, and experiencing the delivery of those 5 healthy kittens, with a content mama nearby, was satisfying and rewarding.

God knows what lessons we need. He also knows the qualities that are lacking in our children. As I have asked Him to teach them what they need for their lives, He has been faithful to do that. And there always seems to be a lesson in there for me, as well.

Maybe some day there will be a person in need, who will show up on my children's doorsteps...maybe the compassion and humility they learned from a ragged, pregnant cat will grow and develop into a ministry of service to further God's Kingdom.

Only God knows.

But I'm really glad I opened that door.

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
The Lord delivers him in times of trouble.
Psalm 41:1