The Cobblestone Daily: Enter Millie

The night was silent as I read my big girls a book in one room and Daddy read the little girls a book in the other (This pastime is precious to me and we do it each summer). Silence was upon us save the sound of my voice and the swishing of sheets as bodies turned to make themselves more comfortable. We were a few pages into the chapter when the drawl of my voice was interrupted as Daddy entered the room and heavily pounced on the bed to join us. Sheets were rearranged and cries of agitation were voiced over his obnoxious arrival before I continued. My reading did not last but for a few brief moments when another sound split the night but not from the comfort of our home. This was a cry outside the window. "Washington?" my eldest questioned. She had not had her kitty come to the window before. As she raised the blinds to take a peek at the small voice we heard, we were all surprised to find it not coming from the large dark kitty we call Washington; however, the voice was owned by a small kitten peeping into the window.

This was the start of a 24-hour hunt for an allusive kitten we continued to hear throughout the night and day. My eldest would sit outside for large periods of time trying to find out where the kitten cries were coming from when suddenly my hubby had an idea. "Check under the hood of my car," was all He suggested. We thought he was crazy; however, upon quick investigation, this was exactly where the kitten was. Hiding. Now, I'd like to say that I picked her up, fed her, and that was the end; however, it took us several more hours to catch the sly girl who ran at the first sight of me under that hood.

Now, how my husband knew to check under the hood was the most interesting part of the story. Approximately 36 hours before we caught this little girl my husband had stopped for a lunch break while at work. While he was out to lunch, he noticed a kitten playing in some leaves. He scared the kitten as he opened and shut his car door which made it run under his car. He never noted the kitten exiting from under the car; however, this fact did not alarm him as it could have exited from another vantage point. My husband drove back to work to complete his day before making the journey 26 miles back to our home from the city of Homewood. When we found the kitten under the hood of his car we did not realize that this 6-week old kitten had ridden roughly 30 miles through a downtown area and 70 mph down the interstate in the engine compartment to get to us. Miraculously, she was not burned and she did not fall out. She was; however, starving!

I look at our little miracle kitty and laugh because our journeys to Christ are not unlike this wandering kitty. There are so many ways people come to know the Savior; however, there are so many who find Him and choose to "run" just like our traveling kitty. They choose to go back to a life of abandonment and spiritual starvation. Our kittie was absolutely starving; yet, her fear of the unknown caused her to run from a source of love and nourishment which she had not known previously. There are people in this world who do exactly the same thing; they run away from the free gift God has given them in the name of “independence,” “unbelief,” “selfishness,” and many other excuses. They are spiritually starving trying to fill their lives with a good job, vacations, beautiful homes, men, women, sexual pleasures, friends, and all the things the world can offer, yet, their soul continues to feel the hunger of abandonment.

Ephesians 1:4-5 clearly states:

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, it gave him great pleasure.”

Just as it gave us great pleasure to catch our kitty and give her a home, it gives God great pleasure to adopt us into his own family. He did this through His son, Jesus Christ, who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

Romans 5:8 says,

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Yes, He died for you, before you were born and it gave Him great pleasure. You see, we were not prepared for our little Homewood kittie; however, God has been prepared for us the entire time,

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you[...]" Jeremiah 1:5

He prepared for us in ways unimaginable and He welcomes us into His family with open arms. What kind of story would our Homewood kitty have if we said she ran away because she enjoyed her fearful starving independence? What if we said she enjoyed her ignorance and freedom so she headed for the woods? It does not sound like a Hallmark movie, right? Not a "feel good" "warm your heart" kind of plot.

Christ's story for us is. The story I have, so many others have, and so many others can have is one that boasts a classic tale of abandonment to adoption, of hurting to healing, of empty to whole, of lost to purpose. All it takes is a conversation, a conversation with God to simply say you want to accept His sacrifice and believe He has a better life for you. It begins here. It begins now.

For those of us who know the Lord, in a world where sharing your faith may seem radical, challenge yourself today to speak with someone about the gospel. “Gospel” is defined as “good news” and what wonderful news is it to hear that you are wanted and prepared for more than anything by Jesus Christ! Your personal story may be the one someone needs to hear today. And, hey, if you need it, use our Homewood kittie as an example for your story. She won’t mind, she’s too busy thinking she runs the house and living it up with all the snuggles she gets every day! She even has a new name! Enter: Millie.

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Make a new connection in your Cobblestone Life today! Do you have an interesting way you came to know Christ? Become a member to tell me in a comment below! Then, before you leave, sign up for your free e-book and share this post so that others can read as well. I look forward to hearing from you!