Denice Perkins

Please forgive a mother’s pride as I share with you about my son, Scott Perkins, and the article he authored.

A little about this man I’m proud to call my son. He is married to a wonderful woman, and they have two children. Thier oldest son is fifteen, a talented singer and a boy scout about to begin his eagle scout requirements. Their youngest son is twelve, a near drowning survivor with cerebral palsy because of the accident. He is the most loving child on the face of this planet and a blessing to all who know him.

My son is visually impaired, legally blind. He received this diagnosis at twenty-nine. Severe chronic pain plagues him because of permanent nerve damage resulting from a bout of shingles three years ago. The fact that this man functions at all amazes me. He serves as our church’s assistant minister and attends almost all of his sons’ activities and performances.

If you saw him in public, you wouldn’t know he was blind or in pain. He covers it and compensates so well that I forget sometimes. Seeing his pain and suffering breaks his momma’s heart. It’s pain that can bring him to knees. It’s pain he only shows in private.

I could not be prouder of the way he serves God and his family.

Now that you’ve heard Momma’s bragging, here is the article Scott wrote for our church bulletin:

Are You a Dog or a Cat?

By: Scott Perkins

            I saw a meme this week that struck a chord with me. The meme had two pictures. A dog had its tongue out, begging for attention or food on the left, and on the right was a cat, sitting contemptuously on the back of a couch, beside shredded drapes, giving the camera an, “I am superior to you look.” The caption under the dog says, “They love me, and they feed me. They must be gods!” The caption under the cat says, “They love me, and they feed me. I must be a god.”

               Now, why would that strike a chord with a minister? 

The cat demonstrates well the way the world looks at our God. The world looks at all man has accomplished and says, “We did all this. We are the gods of this world, and there is no other.” How sad and foolishly superior are these men by telling the Lord of Creation they are mightier and more knowledgeable than He.

               However, we are called to be like the dog in this meme, attach our affections, our loyalties, even our very lives to Christ, and acknowledge that He is our God. (Matt. 22:37, Luke 9:23-27)

               How easy is it to fall into Satan’s trap in the world around us? How easy is it to take the blessings in our lives and say, “Look at all I have, all I have accomplished.” When these moments creep in, we need to concentrate on how passing these blessings are and how easily they can be lost. Job lost all he had in a short time because Satan wished to test Job’s faith. Today, Satan often does the opposite, testing our loyalty to Christ by providing an easy path to get ahead, a shortcut that requires us to step off the path that Christ has set before us. That easy path is so deceptive and seductive and only leads through a wide gate. (Matt. 7:13-14)

               Think honestly on all the blessings in your life and how fragile they are. Consider then the origin of all those blessings. Did you accomplish the impossible? Or did a loving Father provide all you needed? Are you living as a cat, elevating yourself to others through your accomplishments, or are you living as a dog giving thanks to God for all you have and begging to worship Him?

I hope Scott’s article made you think. I know I’ll strive to be more like the dog, counting and thanking the Lord for the blessings He gave me.