When I was a little girl I wanted a cat. Somehow we never got to keep it for very long. I guess it ran away?
What would you say if your dear beloved daughter asked you for her very own kitten? I guess you have figured out what I answered. We’ve had this darling feline for almost two years now.
Kara and I will never forget the first time we met Sheba. She was a rescue kitten from a feral litter. Daintily she climbed into my daughter’s lap as we visited her in the foster home she lived in. It took her quite a while before she did this.
She was so tiny and timid. Sheba hid under Kara’s bed when we arrived home with her… until…
Sushi came to the rescue and befriended her. Love at first sight! We could not believe how our wee dog drew the kitten out of her hiding place.
Sheba hasn’t looked back. The bond between these two unlikely friends reminds me of two other strangely matched buddies.
“… Jonathon became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.”
1 Samuel 18: 1
David and Jonathon had every reason to hate each other; but they did not. Although our Shih tzu loved Sheba – our older outside cat did not! Like King Saul she appears to be very hateful of this new kid on the block…
” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.”
1 Samuel 18: 9
David spent a lot of time hiding from Saul. But he did not hate him back. David trusted God and did not take vengeance upon the angry king.
” But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.”
1 Samuel 26: 11
When we trust God it means we can wait for his signal and know that his timing is best. To act presumptuously will only set us back…
We are to rejoice with others when they get the promotion and we didn’t. And we are to mourn with others when they experience loss. Jonathon can sure teach us a lot about this.
He was the king’s son: Not David.
But Jonathon knew who the real Boss was. It is the LORD who chooses the leaders. Jonathon loved the same God that David did. Do we?
Are we able to wait or give up a position that we wanted?
Is God’s will more important than ours? I am uncomfortable as I type this. I fear that I lack a Jonathon heart.
But I will not lose heart because I know that: ” when I am weak He is strong and He will continue the project He has begun in me” – (Wendy paraphrase). Jesus is not only my Boss; He is my best friend!
“… Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
John 15: 15
Blessings to you my friends ~ Wendy
I love kitties and that kitty is soooooo cute!! Love this. (:
Thanks Lexi! My 12 year old daughter adores Sheba. Sheba is the sweetest cat I’ve ever met. Hugs ~ Wendy
Sheba looks like a good cuddle. (; x
Indeed she is!
Lovely pictures, beautiful story, thought provoking message. Thank you. Blessings from Lizzie Joy
Thank you! Blessings to you over in North Wales, Lizzie Joy. ~ Wendy
Agree with you completely since my house is run by three kitties. Love your pictures.
Irene
I notice you said ” run by three kitties “. Those felines have a way of owning us. Our dog hasn’t caught onto that yet! ~ Wendy
Nice post, Wendy! I like how you mix serious with fun 🙂
Thanks! I seriously do like to have fun… Having teens in the house helps me not to sweat the small stuff.
~ Wendy
Adorable pictures, and I love the messages interspersed between. Very creative! Blessings, Dee
Thanks Dee. I sure had fun with the photos. I’ve been reading about David & Jonathon, lately, so it all just kinda happened as that friendship of theirs was on my mind. ~ Wendy
How wonderful that God uses the ordinary, everyday things in life to teach us deep truths. I had to smile when I read how it was your dog that made your cat feel safe! Sometimes the lessons God wants us to learn are where we least expect it…but if we’re looking, we’ll find them. Thanks for the great post, Wendy! Blessings to you!
Thank you. I like what you said about God’s lessons from unexpected places. I love surprises and I love how unpredictable God is. ( Well, most of the time…)
~ Wendy
I think having a Jonathan heart is a rare thing indeed. We are so often compelled to push for our own rights, to fight for our own advancement and to jealously guard the attention and position we think we deserve. It’s hard—oh so hard—-to humble ourselves and trust that if God wants to raise us up He will in His own way and time. Thanks for sharing!
I love your comment. You’ve hit the nail on the head. He loves a humble heart that trusts Him and desires His will. It’s not about us. And yet He loves us so much even when we’re stumbling around. It is this love that drew me out of the darkness and into His marvelous Light! ~ Wendy
His will or ours. That is the challenge. Total surrender or partial surrender? Can there be partial surrender? But in any event aren’t we glad our God is longsuffering?
Oh yes, I agree… we’d be in big trouble if He wasn’t long suffering. His grace is free – but we do need to trust in it and not ignore Him if we want to be remembered later… ~ Wendy
Forgot to let you know I love those cat pics and the way you wove them into the message of the love between Jonathon and David, a love coming from the Father to them. The insight into seeing the difference between God’s will and man’s will is keen. God bless.
Thanks Gracie. I continue to be blessed by following your blog. Thank you for always pointing to our Father.
~ Wendy
Ah, to live with a Jonathan heart! Love the way you incorporated your cat into the story.
Thanks Melody. It is a wonder that Saul had such a fine son. I guess it’s not where we’ve come from that counts… but where we are heading. ~ Wendy
Never thought about Saul having a good son before – good mothering?? 🙂
Amen! I love that thought… ~ Wendy
Dear Mamarazzi (chuckle), 😉
That was great. I too, love how you tied it in with David and Jonathon. Endearing photos! Peace.
Thanks, I love it if I can tie some humor in with a message!
Yours truly, Mamarazzi
You have two little darlings. They are lovely Wendy 🙂
Thank you, Ralph! They are definitely part of the family…
~ Wendy