God, Cats and Obedience

I have three cats, otherwise known as the Cat Lady Starter Kit. Two are brothers from the same litter, and one is a little girl we adopted from a shelter this past December. It's be a wonderful chaos ever since.

Boo-boo and Scootch have been with me for over five years now, ever since they were about a year old. They know the rules, and though it took a long time, they know commands and comply 99% of the time. And when they don't comply, I give a gentle nudge on their rear, and they get the point.

Then along comes Tinkerbell. 

She doesn't know the rules, therefore has taken the liberty of snatching food, traipsing about the kitchen table like she was a supermodel, settling herself on the very corner to taunt our boys with her ability to get away with it. At least until I see her.

I nudge her bottom and say the code words "Shoo shoo" to let he know that table-sitting isn't allowed. Does she jump down in compliance? Nope. She braces herself instead, making me either shove her off via my hand on her butt, or I have to pick her up and toss her off the table. 

The look she gives me is priceless.

Yesterday I moved to 'shoo-shoo' her and she scurried off the table- but the long way, walking across the entire table length before getting off. If she could speak, she'd say, "I'll do what you want, but my way, not yours, Lady!"

But she listened- and that was the important thing.

Her actions got me thinking....am I that way with God?

You bet your bippy, I am.

God wants me 'off the table', so He nudges me in the right direction. But since I'm still learning, I resist, bracing myself because I feel I need to be on the table- and who is this Person anyway to tell me what to do? Lucky for me He's patient and just keeps nudging until I get the point. Eventually I do.

It's a good thing too- I don't want God to pick me up and toss me off the table!

I find myself resisting a lot. Go here he says. Nope- I go there instead. Do this He says. Nuh uh- I do that instead. Yet each time He does this, I'm more inclined to listen because where He's taking me is awesome- I just don't know it yet!

And it's the not knowing that makes me resist. 

Tinkerbell and I are cut from the same cloth. I just don't have claws, fur and a tail. But God loves me anyway and is willing to spend a lot of time nudging me off of the table- because one day when I learn what He has to teach me, I'll get to lay against Him and cuddle- just like Boo-boo does with me.