“Where can I go then from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I climb up to heaven, you are there; if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even then your hand will lead me and your right hand hold me fast.” –Psalm 139:6-9
Felicia and I are proud to announce that we are now grandparents, or Grandmeow and Grandpaw, as we are affectionately called. You see, our oldest daughters, Jenna and Kelsi, have cats. The youngest daughter, with her dominant Norwegian blood, is smarter than that. Don’t get me wrong. I love cats, if they are properly cooked.
To make a long story endless, the girls brought both cats to my house for the Fourth of July weekend. Lucifer and Scout do not always get along with each other, much less me. They both have a little cattitude. Now, I am their Grandpaw, so I tried to play with them. I tried cat toys, treats, and a laser beam. Lucifer would begrudgingly amuse me for a few minutes. Scout, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with me.
Scout would not come out from under the couch, even when an aging holy man, lying on the floor, looking stupid, was pleading with the cat.
The cats stayed home as we attended a Fourth of July party. Long before it was dark, I headed home. The next morning was Sunday, and when you only work one day a week, you have to be well rested and prepared.
Darkness settled in and Whidbey Island became a war zone. From my bedroom it sounded like, well, it sounded like the Fourth of July. There was one loud explosion after another. Suddenly, I heard a pitter patter on the stairs and there was Scout. The little four-legged fur ball was now standing by my bed looking at me with puppy eyes as if to say, “I am scared Grandpaw. Can I get in bed with you?”
“Come on. Come up here with me.” And a trembling Scout jumped into my lap.
Psalm 139 reminds us that we can spend our lives fleeing from God. We can spend our lives denying God’s existence. We can spend our lives ignoring God. But none of that will change the truth. We come from God; and when we breathe our final breath, we will return to God. That’s the truth …and that is the Gospel of the Lord.
Now, lest I offend any of my readers, I am not comparing Grandpaw with God. Unfortunately, I think I am the CAT!
See you in church this Sunday.
Meow,
Pastor Jim
