During a summer rerun series titled Church Characters, I’m recalling some memorable people from decades of ministry.

I visited homebound members on a monthly basis at my first country churches. I regularly saw Annette who lived in a single-wide trailer with her daughter and cats.

Note that I wrote cats plural.

Annette suffered from progressive dementia. She possessed a sunny disposition but comprehended only the simplest conversations. She loved daytime TV and her cats.

Note that I wrote cats plural.

I never tabulated an accurate census of the feline population that milled around in perpetual motion. It totaled over 25 but under 50. After sitting on the sofa, I appeared to be wearing a fur coat while scratching at imaginary fleas.

The olfactory experience of summer visits in the single-wide trailer without air conditioning exceeds my descriptive powers. The heat, humidity, and malodor produced asthma-like symptoms. I welcomed the dog-day heat outside after enduring the cat-stay smell inside.

Annette’s daughter impressed me throughout my tenure at the church. Lou Ellen cared for her mother without complaint, accepting the living conditions with equanimity. Whenever I inquired about her personal wellbeing, she talked about a devotion to her mother who had cared for her.  

People typically assume that the Fifth Commandment instructs young children to respect their parents. Annette’s life testified that honoring our fathers and mothers encompasses a lifetime; and sometimes it includes cats.

Note that I wrote cats plural.