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| Baxter and Pam |
I know some of you have been interested in an update on
Baxter. He is completely recovered from his leg injury—and without having to
undergo surgery! God is so good. Baxter is eating normally again and the croupy
cough he had developed is gone!
One aspect of his
healing I am especially thankful for is that he is no longer crawling under the
dressers and beds to hide—a sure sign of pain, fear or stress in cats. He once
again wants to be in the room with Dick and me—sometimes on the floor,
sometimes on the couch beside me, and sometimes at the foot of Dick’s recliner.
I especially love
it when Baxter climbs up on my lap so I can hold him. He purrs and squeezes his
eyes shut in satisfaction—well, at least for a time. Then all of a sudden, Baxter
seems to find my arms and lap confining. Giving me the evil eye, he nips my
hand and then jumps up and runs off.
Other times he appears
to be resting comfortably when all at once something grabs his attention and he
shoots out of my lap like a rocket. He might be back in a few minutes or he may
meander off elsewhere.
Hmmm. Baxter’s
behavior looks a lot like how I treat the lap of God. When I am really hurting
or afraid or stressed, it would make sense to immediately turn to God in prayer.
Although I know Psalm 46:1 assures us that God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble, sometimes anxiety, shame, fear of
rejection, or a lack of faith can prevent me from approaching Him first.
When I do crawl up
in the lap of prayer, I can so easily get distracted from my time with God. I
will be praying and meditating and a few minutes later I realize my thoughts
have jumped to thinking about what color to paint that old weather-worn rocker
on the porch!
Then there are the
times when I try to manhandle God during prayer. I want him to answer my
prayers my way in my time. And when He doesn’t, I give Him the evil eye. If God
tries to convince me that perhaps I am the problem, or even the solution to a
problem, and I don’t want to hear it, I jump down from the lap of prayer and
get busy doing something else.
And, just like Baxter
expects of me, I trustingly assume God is willing to hold me in the lap of
prayer anytime, anywhere. What is so incredible to me is that God never fails
to pat His knee and invite me to commune with Him in prayer. He always takes
time for me, always makes space for me, and always pours His love out on me.
“Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” James 4:8
Sometimes I bask
in His presence, filled with awe, and practically purr my thanks for all that
He is doing in my life. But more often than not, like Baxter, I just soak in
all the blessings.
“Devote yourselves
to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.”
Colossians 4:2
Blessings!
Pam©2014 Pamela D. Williams
