"The Furry Reaper"

Well this is one of the strangest stories I have seen in a long time.

Many nursing homes and hospice houses have begun to bring dogs and cats into the facility as part of the "staff". The nursing home patients seem to love to have the animals around and react well to their presence. The hospice house here in Ashland has a beautiful Labrador Retriever that roams the halls and brings a sense of "home" to the patients and staff people alike.

Well, it seems that a hospice house in Providence, Rhode Island has joined that number of care facilities employing domestic animals. However, they got more than they bargained for with Oscar the Cat.

Thursday's issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine" reports that Oscar seems to have an uncanny ability to know when patients are about to die. According to the article, when Oscar senses the impending death of a particular patient, he curls up in the bed with the patient, or silently stands vigil by their bedside. In the last twenty five deaths, Oscar has taken up his vigil within four hours of the patient's passing. He has even proven the nursing staff wrong on one case. His "gift" has proven so accurate, that when the staff of the home sees Oscar in his "death watch mode" they make their call to notify the family that their loved one's death is imminent.

Here's the link to the fascinating story. Check it out for yourself:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_fe_st/death_cat

We were joking yesterday about how unpopular that particular cat must be, ("Get this cat out of my room!") but seriously, this story is a reminder that death is an appointment that God has made for each of us. In a hospice house, death is more or less imminent for every patient. But in a larger sense, all of us are drawing nearer to that final appointment each hour. Since none of us know the date or time of our appointment, (and we don't have "Oscar the Death Cat" to give it away) it behooves each of us to be ready.

There are some wise words in the only Psalm that is attributed to Moses' authorship (the 90th):

"As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, eighty years,
Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we fly away...
So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.
Do return, O Lord; how long will it be?
And be sorry for Your servants.
O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the years we have seen evil."

So, being reminded of the transitory nature of our earthly lives, let us "number our days", making the most of each one, and present to God a heart of wisdom. Live each day as though it were your last, and don't be afraid even if some strange cat takes up residence at your bedside. Remember - God is in control.

"You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You."

- Isaiah 26: 3