This is my sister's cat. I don't even know the cat's name (some sister I am….). Her cat had some kind of injury a month or so ago that caused her to adorn "the cone of shame". When I visited back in Spring Break, my sister filled me in on the details right before she rushed off to the vet appointment, but I don't remember the specifics. (-Remember, the whole I hit my head thing?). I had even forgotten about the cat until Wednesday. Oh Wednesday. It was a long day. By the end of it, I was hiding out. I'd told myself I just needed to settle down and not talk to anybody. Earlier in the day I'd said something unkind to someone; something out of character. I felt ashamed all day. I tried several things including trying to laugh it off and telling a friend, hoping they would convince me what I said wasn't that bad. But I knew that my words were both unnecessary and malicious and the fact that they weren't well thought-out only revealed the true nature of my heart.

My younger sister, Jennifer called Wednesday night just to chat. She told me a nightmare story about her misbehaving cat (who's still sportin' the cone of shame). You may think me a nut, but that cat visual was just what I needed. I made her promise to send me a picture of her feisty feline. Here it is. You're welcome.

 

It pains me to think of any creature wearing a cone of shame (also referred to as a 'pet lampshade' which sounds no better). It's rather ridiculous-looking for one thing. With it there's no peripheral vision; so isolating. And it's so BINDING. I can imagine it would make you feel swallowed up in your circumstances. It's worn to protect the animal. I get that.

The crazy thing is, I feel sorry for Jennifer's little cat (I've got to find out her name) for having to wear a cone of shame when I willingly volunteer to wear one myself every time I mess up. I speak unkindly. I behave selfishly. It's necessary for me to recognize that. But to wallow in shame is equally ridiculous to my friend with the lampshade. That poor cat has no choice. I however do. A choice that shouldn't be difficult to make. My bad decisions and shameful acts, however egregious, are no match for God's grace. His grace is more than enough to cover my sin.

The cone of shame I suspect most of us wear at some time, leads to more sin. Wearing it, we sometimes believe we're unlovable. We talk ourselves into thinking that what we did is unforgivable. Figuratively hiding out, we fail to be a blessing to others held back by the notion that we'll just mess up again. In the limited vision caused by the cone of shame, it's hard to see Jesus.

Our guilt binds us and blinds us to the freedom found in grace.

"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything . 1 Corinthians 6:12

Certainly we need to grow in our recognition and practice of things not beneficial; bad behavior and the like. But living in your shame is not beneficial. We must learn not to be mastered by it.

We all do plenty of things to be ashamed of. We can't fix what we've already done. We can only fix our eyes on the one who urges

Come and listen to my counsel. I'll share {MY} heart with you and make you wise (Prov. 1:23)

Afterall, the wisdom he lovingly offers is a garland of grace around our neck; a garland that reminds us we're loved. Wearing that garland makes us mindful of endless, matchless, grace. That knowledge produces gratitude. And it's with gratitude we strive to be better.

I'll take that over a cone of shame anytime.