There are cats with opposable thumbs!
Good Morning, God!
Polydactyl cats? Amazing, God! Who knew that some cats are polydactyl) — that is, have “opposable thumbs!” I thought only humans had opposable thumbs. By “thumb” I mean a digit that can meet another digit — pad to pad — enabling gripping and grasping and other useful functions.
Apparently a genetic change occurred giving some cats an extra thumb-like digit, making them better at climbing and hunting. They thus became considered “good luck” by sailing captains. And this special ability was spread from port to port.
I was thinking about opposable thumbs, God, because I was thinking about Opposable Virtues.
You tell us to Speak the Truth in Love. To me that is clearly a case of delicately balancing two Opposable Virtues. For example, a dear friend “confessed” to me that she was incredibly “sensitive” to perfume. As I was wearing perfume at the time, I stopped wearing perfume.. She spoke “truth” about herself in a loving way to me. But, all too often, God, “Truth” is used as a hammer — to FORCE change. The nuanced bringing together of truth and love — acting in concert — allows us to “lift” problems to a higher level.
This has caused me to see in Virtues the need for a Pairing of Opposites. Just as with the cats with opposable thumbs, when we judiciously employ both virtues TOGETHER — we can better grasp problems.
Now, God, all we humans can use our Thumbs. We can bring our thumb and fingers together and pick up eggs. We’d laugh at someone who pushed too hard with her thumb and put it through the egg. But it seems to me, God, that ALL of us humans have a very hard time employing opposable virtues.
Perhaps, God, it might help us — including me — to speak the Truth in Love if we embrace this concept of Opposable Virtues.
Story teller,
A Moment with God 
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