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Jan/Feb 2015 • 42 I don't hate cats. I'm just not particu- larly fond of the one who lives in my house. I've had cats all my life: funny cats, afectionate cats and mouse-catching cats. But the cat we have now? He's none of the above. He's rarely playful, never comes near to be peted and, as far as mice go, probably couldn't catch anything but feas. My whole relationship with this white ball of fur named Fluf revolves around his digestive process. When his food dish is empty, he bites me. When his liter box is dirty, he goes elsewhere. A towel. A shoe. Wherever is convenient. When that happens, as it did twice this week, guess whose job it is the clean it up. This guy right here. The same guy who gets to change his liter box. Hard to believe I'm not a fan. The way I see it, I'm basically Fluf's butler, and according to his standards, not a very good one at that. But wait, it gets beter. As a bonus, I'm allergic to cats. Clogged sinuses. Itchy eyes. Scratchy throat. The whole nine yards. Yes, these are the perks of living with Fluf. When I was cleaning up his latest mess this week, the disgusting details of which I will spare you, I started think- ing about Fluf's virtues and realized that there is absolutely no logical reason for me to tolerate this cat. If it were just the two of us, next De- cember I would wrap him up in a box, like the old lady from "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and give him to a lucky family member at Christmas. But then, there's my daughter, Emma. Emma adores this cat. She plays with him, dresses him in doll clothes and snuggles him in bed every night. She is completely and totally in love with Fluf. That, of course, makes all the difer- ence. My daughter loves this cat, and it is her love that compels me to love him, too. Despite the messes. Despite the hassle. Despite logic. Unconditional love makes the un- lovable lovable even when it doesn't make sense. It's true for cats and true for people. We all have messy people in our lives, people who are high maintenance and hard to love, people who our lives would be much simpler without. Yet, God loves the unlovable. That, of course, makes all the diference. God loves difcult people, and it is His love that compels us to love them, too. Despite the messes. Despite the hassle. Despite the logic. One of Jesus' followers, Paul, once said it like this: "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all" (2 Corinthians 5:14 NIV). Je- sus' death, His ultimate statement of love, gives everyone worth. Everyone. Which, of course, applies to us, too. Sometimes we are that difcult person who is tough to love. Sometimes we are unlovable. Yet, God didn't let that stop Him from loving us just the same. So, when we are about to give up on someone, maybe we should think twice. Logical? Maybe not? But neither is the fact that I still have a cat. For now, I'll keep on changing liter boxes and cleaning up messes because I love the one who loves old Fluf, and no mater how hard I try to deny it, that kind of love is contagious. • Photo (Left): The lovable cat, Fluf. Everyday Adventures Jason Byerly is a writer, pastor, husband and dad who loves the quirky surprises God sends his way every day. You can catch up with Ja- son on his blog at www.jasonbyerly.com or on Twiter at www.twiter.com/jasondbyerly. A Cat's Tale When loving the unlovable doesn't make sense 'Unconditional love makes the unlovable loveable even when it doesn't make sense.'