A Divine Illustration
I love animals, so when my wife and I got married she knew it was only a matter of time before I had her talked into a pet of some sort. Four months after saying "I do," we made a trip down to the local animal shelter to pick out the next addition to our family. And that weekend our feline companion, Lambeau, came to live with us in our Austin apartment. He was only a few weeks old, cute as could be, and easily loved. Drawn to the smell of my wife's hair, we would often times wake up with his cute little face dreaming away on our pillows.
But Lambeau was not the perfect little kitten. He had extremely sharp claws (on enormous paws), and an insatiable urge to bite the hands that caressed his fur. After many attempts with a water bottle, newspaper, tap on the nose, etc, little Lambeau gave no indication that he would ever grow out of this phase. Two years later... he still bites the hand that feeds him. Only now he is full grown and weighs twenty pounds. Apparently, Lambeau is nearly a full blood Maine Coon. These cats grow to be incredibly large, have a playful disposition, and live long healthy lives. My wife is real excited that he is probably going to be with us for the next fifteen years!
Allow me to try and educate you on the habits of this cat. In the morning when we wake up, Lambeau is right at our feet, chirping away and loving on our legs. He follows us throughout the morning wherever we go and lays at our feet. This is the cat that I love. However, pretty soon Lambeau's disposition changes from a lovable purr to a ticked off howl as he begins to get demanding. So, I try to play with him... not interested. So, I give him some food. He eats a few bites and then comes right back to my feet demanding something else and biting my leg as I move to remind me of his presence. So, I try to pet him. Now my hand is scratched from those little knives in his mouth. At this point my wife is ready to kill him, and I am trying to keep him alive as he nips at the feet that protect his little pea sized brain.
So, what is God teaching me through this daily circus of a routine? For one I get a minute glimpse into how God must feel as I go about my day. Sure in the morning I am right at His feet in worship with a fabulous disposition about the opportunities of the day ahead, and yet before lunch I think not of the blessings and provision He showers upon me. At times I am even "biting the hand that feeds me" as I allow my anger or fear to control my attitude over our current financial situation. Forgetting that I have a lunch in the fridge and a roof over my head (not to mention that I am at Dallas Theological Seminary getting the best training in the world) I have the audacity to ask God what He was thinking when He allowed our car to break down to the point where we could no longer fix it. I ask Him, How in the world are we ever going to pay for this training?" as I look at our bank statement. And yet He has provided every single day of my 25 years on this earth.
Just like Lambeau does to me, every day I give God a reason to send a well positioned lightening bolt my way, but He doesn't. Just as Lambeau begs for food or comfort and then walks away when it is given, I too turn my back daily on what God has in store for me - but He still sends blessings my way. I cannot comprehend the patience it must take to deal with me on a daily basis, when I can barely deal with a cat that I am away from for the majority of each day.
My wife jokes and says that Lambeau has been sent by the Lord to punish us for being immature and consuming Christians, but even if that were the case, I welcome His divine illustration because it reminds me how I need to continually be aware of my relationship to my Maker.
But Lambeau was not the perfect little kitten. He had extremely sharp claws (on enormous paws), and an insatiable urge to bite the hands that caressed his fur. After many attempts with a water bottle, newspaper, tap on the nose, etc, little Lambeau gave no indication that he would ever grow out of this phase. Two years later... he still bites the hand that feeds him. Only now he is full grown and weighs twenty pounds. Apparently, Lambeau is nearly a full blood Maine Coon. These cats grow to be incredibly large, have a playful disposition, and live long healthy lives. My wife is real excited that he is probably going to be with us for the next fifteen years!
Allow me to try and educate you on the habits of this cat. In the morning when we wake up, Lambeau is right at our feet, chirping away and loving on our legs. He follows us throughout the morning wherever we go and lays at our feet. This is the cat that I love. However, pretty soon Lambeau's disposition changes from a lovable purr to a ticked off howl as he begins to get demanding. So, I try to play with him... not interested. So, I give him some food. He eats a few bites and then comes right back to my feet demanding something else and biting my leg as I move to remind me of his presence. So, I try to pet him. Now my hand is scratched from those little knives in his mouth. At this point my wife is ready to kill him, and I am trying to keep him alive as he nips at the feet that protect his little pea sized brain.
So, what is God teaching me through this daily circus of a routine? For one I get a minute glimpse into how God must feel as I go about my day. Sure in the morning I am right at His feet in worship with a fabulous disposition about the opportunities of the day ahead, and yet before lunch I think not of the blessings and provision He showers upon me. At times I am even "biting the hand that feeds me" as I allow my anger or fear to control my attitude over our current financial situation. Forgetting that I have a lunch in the fridge and a roof over my head (not to mention that I am at Dallas Theological Seminary getting the best training in the world) I have the audacity to ask God what He was thinking when He allowed our car to break down to the point where we could no longer fix it. I ask Him, How in the world are we ever going to pay for this training?" as I look at our bank statement. And yet He has provided every single day of my 25 years on this earth.
Just like Lambeau does to me, every day I give God a reason to send a well positioned lightening bolt my way, but He doesn't. Just as Lambeau begs for food or comfort and then walks away when it is given, I too turn my back daily on what God has in store for me - but He still sends blessings my way. I cannot comprehend the patience it must take to deal with me on a daily basis, when I can barely deal with a cat that I am away from for the majority of each day.
My wife jokes and says that Lambeau has been sent by the Lord to punish us for being immature and consuming Christians, but even if that were the case, I welcome His divine illustration because it reminds me how I need to continually be aware of my relationship to my Maker.
posted by jhe at 1:48 PM
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