"I'm afraid the prognosis isn't very good!" Said the veterinary practitioner as he finished examining the limp body of our faithful old cat of 19 years. He had suffered another stroke like episode leaving him without the capability of using his back legs. He was helpless and very stressed.

 It felt as if I was giving my consent to end the life of a child of ours!

Teddy came into our lives when our children were young. He has been there all the way through those troublesome teenage years. And now that our family have left the nest to marry their own loved ones Teddy is still with us. By the way, Teddy is STILL with us :-)

You see, it was arranged that the vet would come to our home at 5:00pm, so we had the best part of the day to do all we could for our beloved furry friend. Our son came and spent some 'quality' time with Teddy - on the floor where we had been spending most of our day. He was groomed, petted and fussed, which Teddy appeared to relish while time ticked on relentlessly to that dreaded hour.

To anyone who has never owned a pet our behaviour might appear to have been rather peculiar but it's at a time like this that you realise just how attached to a pet you can become.

I glanced at the clock for the umpteenth time, it was just gone 5 but no one had showed up yet! After a few moments the phone rang - it was the vet calling to enquire about Teddy and about ourselves.

"Well," I told him, "Teddy still seems the same to me but he has calmed down after the injection he was given in the morning. He can do everything a cat does but only with assistance and he's hungry! As for us - well, we are in a dilemma! Earlier, having him put to sleep seemed the right thing to do but as the day has progressed we're not so sure."

I asked if he would come anyway to see Teddy for himself, and help us to know what to do to which he agreed. I no sooner closed the conversation when Teddy surprised us all with an impressive effort to rise to his feet and head over for a drink of water! What a pitiful sight, Teddy looked like he was well and truly 'tipsy' but he made it - well, after a fashion :-)

When the vet arrived we told him what had just happened. He took a look at Teddy now lying back on the floor like he had been doing all day and to our surprise and encouragement he told us:

"Do you know, I think he is going to recover!

I'm not sure to what degree his recovery will be but I believe that if you are prepared to wait 24-48 hours you will have a clearer idea what to do because Teddy will let you know."

After a further small conversation the Vet left. And so 5 o'clock came and went but our Teddy remained. I'm not sure how many lives he has left but he surely had the closest shave I have ever known in a long while.

On that sad day I lost a day's pay, and paid an extortionate veterinary bill and although Teddy has made a partial recovery he is still very wobbly. I wonder why all that happened a few weeks ago. But even as I am writing about it I realise that all this may have been for your benefit; for as you read about the events in our family you may recollect some 5 o'clock events in your own life.

~~~~~

Everyone's life is very precious you know, but there is something you possess that is even more valuable than life itself, and that is your soul and spirit! If '5 o'clock' was the time of the day when your life was going to end where would that part of you that is eternal be the moment after your body has died? The Bible puts it like this:

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Matthew 16: 26

Did you know that you may have been preserved by God Himself from many a close shave without you even realising it? And you are still here! Isn't that amazing? If only you would value your soul like God does then you would make sure that all is well with your soul for time and for eternity.

God values it so highly He has made all the provisions for its eternal well being. He sent His only Son into the world to ultimately go to the cross and die in the place of sinners like you and me. When He died He took away the power that sin has to separate us from His very best and a home in His glorious heaven. All that for you and for me! What amazing grace! What love!

"The redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever.
Psalm 49: 8

Seeing as you and I do not know when our 5 o'clock is going to come, it would be wise to turn from the sin for which He died and trust Him wholly for the security of your never dying soul. You will be eternally glad you did :-)

"Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."
Proverbs 27: 1 

Teddy ♥