Return to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness... Joel 2:13 NKJV
This is
Adolfo.
Jeff and I named him, have
a bed for him on our porch, and feed him every day. We might be kidding ourselves when we say he’s not our
cat. Adolfo got his name from his
little mustache, which resembles a certain WWII leader. I still claim that I’m not a cat person, but I’m also
not a rock. My heart beats; I care
about living things. Plus, Adolfo
could be a kitty Zoolander with his creative napping poses. It’s adorable.
Through Adolfo,
I’ve been learning about God’s extraordinary kindness and consistency.
I’ve felt a bit distant from God off
and on, and I notice in these times that I’m believing God to be distant from me. I think He’s being aloof until I figure
out some illusive right and best life decision. There have been many days lately where I haven’t so much as
cracked open my Bible, and yet, through the simple act of feeding Adolfo, my
spirit is learning and hearing, “God is kind and God will not leave you.”
Adolfo eats like a
stray cat. We’ve been feeding him
morning and night for months, but he acts like he can never be sure of his next
meal. If we leave the sliding door
open, Adolfo will poke his head inside, look furtively around, and then attack
the dry food dispenser like a frenzied shark. He’s skittish, and will run away at the slightest noise or
movement. Jeff and I can tell he
wants affection too. We’ll pet
him, but soon enough, he’ll glance at the food dish and stuff in a few big
mouthfuls before darting back outside.
I find myself
talking to Adolfo, always in a soft tone so as not to frighten him away again.
“Slow down, buddy,
there’s enough food for you. You
are not going to starve. You’re
okay. There will be the same meal
in the morning.”
I tell Jeff, “I
just want Adolfo to realize he doesn’t have to run away or go crazy on the
food. We are not going to all of a
sudden turn on him and ignore him.”
Then, God tells me,
“I’m like that too, Brooke. I have
what you need, every day. You
don’t have to worry or grasp desperately for things. I’ve got tomorrow too.
Can you
relax in my goodness?
Can you
think a little less about all the stuff and just enjoy Me?”
God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. Romans 15:4 MSG
I love how that verse is worded: “his steady, constant calling”. I recently reached out to someone and
it wasn’t easy for me. I left a
message and then felt this impending doom, anticipating that my extended care would
be rejected. God reminded me of
this Adolfo lesson and I began singing a song my Mom has been singing to me
since birth. I sang it over and
over, until my insides agreed that God is indeed good, regardless of the
outcome of my reaching out or how I perceive what happens. None of that can change who God is. He is so good.
