Rocky the Stray Goes Astray
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6 (NIV)
Farm life consisted of lots of stray cats (and way too many kittens). Some we took inside for mouse control and others we left in the barn. They all had a job to do and instinctively did it. Linda Bartlett shares a wonderful story (All God’s Creatures) about the cat she adopted. Enjoy!
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Nothing like a new pet to spice up life. My husband and I had spent a few months with an empty-nest household—the kids were long gone, and we had lost our furry friends as well—before I ventured over to the local animal shelter. The house was too empty and quiet.
Enter Rocky, a stray short-hair mixed cat. He came quietly but soon took over. He liked company, and despite having a litter box, food, and comfortable bed of his own, at all hours he preferred company and would try to rouse us at 6 a.m. I, on the other hand, liked sleeping until seven. Rocky would meow loudly until I moved him into my office, where his meowing was heard only by my computer. Rocky gave in to my sleep needs.
He did not, however, change his wandering ways. He was used to doing his own thing and especially loved being outdoors. He would not stay in the secure fenced area, nor did he cooperate with a leash. The compromise was for me to stay outdoors with him in our yard. This worked until I asked him to come inside. That’s when he would run away, climb a tree, or hide. All very frustrating since I was trying to be as accommodating as I could for him yet keep him safe.
Sounds like my relationship with God. Sometimes I know what He’s asking, but my reaction is to run away, climb a tree, or hide. (OK, maybe not climb a tree, but you get the idea.) God always has my best interests in mind but my stubborn, independent streak has difficulty remembering that fact. Just as I do with Rocky, God lovingly scoops me up and deposits me on the rightful path over and over. His mercy is unending.
Lord, lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil. Over and over. AMEN.