Almost every morning when I awake I look at on my back porch I find one of our cats sitting in the corner of the porch sleeping. It’s usually Todd, the cat that likes us. But today it was Bruce, the traitor. We call him that because he spends more time at the neighbor’s house, in the neighbor’s garage and eating the neighbor’s food then doing the same on our side of the street. The “crazy cat lady” across the street has him under her spell. So it brought me great joy to see him willingly sleeping on our porch this morning. The prodigal had come home.
So I sat on the edge of the bed willing myself to get up, looking at Bruce and thinking about our own lives. I wonder if the joy I felt this morning is similar to the joy that God feels when we willingly give ourselves to him. And I wonder if the jealously and anger I feel when I see Bruce partaking of the temptation that the crazy cat lady has to offer doesn’t some how parallel to the jealously and anger the God must feel when we decide to strike out on our own and indulge ourselves in our own ways.
For me this had been a bright spot in a morning filled with anxiety as I try to figure out how to accomplish 48 hours worth of activities in 8 hours. Maybe I should learn something from Bruce, and stretch out on God’s back porch, let him handle the stress and bask in the light of his joy.
8Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8
Have a great Holiday weekend. Stay close to our God and Savior.