To begin, I have had George for a little over two years. I have no clue what happened to his ear or why he’s missing some of his teeth or why he can be so skittish and would rather spend hours hiding under my bed instead of enjoying the kingdom of his house. This is because George is a rescue cat and when I got him from the shelter, he was so scared that he hid behind the dryer for two weeks and would only come out at night when no one was around. Eventually, he and I became friends as I read to him from the fascinating book The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin (it just happened to be the book I was reading at the time, not because I wanted my cat to think he was Russian). Through the months, George has gone from hiding under the bed during the day and sleeping beside me at night to the life of a normal nap anywhere cat, although he does still prefer to nap in my room by the heating vent and he doesn’t like being around more than one person at a time. We’re still working on that. Yes, George has mellowed out a lot and each day he comes meowing to me for more attention and more food.
As I think of George and his journey, it has reminded me a lot of my own and a lot of the way that I have been learning to trust God to provide day by day. I am not what one would consider an extrovert, in fact, I would consider myself an introvert. And with the ways that technology have made that easier, i.e. ordering food or sending an impersonal text message, I would say that it has made it so easy to stay in my safe bubble and keep to myself. Sure, I have my group of friends and my family, but outside them, I tend to isolate myself. But God has been pushing me. Coaxing me from my safe space and asking me to trust him so that He can give me the life that only He can provide. Helping me to see that there is more to life than just me and what I want. I know my tendencies and I know that at times I retreat back to my house and my cat, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t still moving me forward, removing my safety net one rope at a time.
How thankful I am for God and His power to guide me through my life. And I’m also thankful for George, a reminder of how God is working in my own life and faith and the trust that it requires to have a more peace filled and fulfilling life.
