Julian and I went to our MOPS group this morning. I had prayed ahead of time since Julian has had the hardest time in their nursery and I don't know why. Each time we've gone there he just cries and cries after I leave. My prayers were answered today. Julian did start crying when I left, but the sitter knew him and after 3 minutes I didn't hear him anymore. Our time was really good today with the author of our study coming to speak. Her main focus was on materialism, what we need versus want and what we already have. One of the scriptures we looked at was in Exodus when God gave the Israelites manna to eat. The interesting thing here was that God didn't give them an over-abundance, he gave them just the amount they needed for that day. So the point was asking ourselves what do we truly need. I was really convicted to be more mindful of my purchases asking myself what is it that God wants me to have and do I really need this. So many times I just buy something because we can afford it and I'm not always focused on those questions. She also had us look at how many things we have and really searching our hearts to see where we just have "stuff" and a way to honor God would be to give those things away. In doing that, she also challenged us to give some things away that are really hard to part with. It's easy to give something away you no longer use, but a real sacrifice would be giving away something we really like.
Something sad that's happening is that my beloved cat Rio whom I have had for the past 18-1/2 years is slowly dying. She was my first cat and has been with me through so much. One incredible memory is when my mom died and I would have a crying spell while laying on my bed, she would come up and lie on my back to comfort me. She is a very affectionate cat and loves to give little head butts but only with me and also Lanty. She doesn't seem to be in any pain, but she's slowly wasting away. Every day we let the cats up from sleeping in the basement and the last few days she hasn't come up right away. Well today she didn't come up at all so I went down to check on her and found her sleeping in a cozy spot. I left for MOPS and 3 hours later came back and she hadn't moved. So I got her up and let her drink some water and gave her some of her favorite treats. She only licked them a little bit but didn't eat them which she's never done. We call her the stomach because she is always mooching food so to turn away her treats I know things are not good. We have a vet appointment Friday to do a basic exam and talk to them about comfort care.
Turning things on another somber note was my study of David. I read 2Samuel 11 today which is when David falls. Up until now we have seen so much of God's character in him; now we see the other side, human sin. The shift of his life is so huge. In a few short verses he falls to the depths. He had a major lapse in self-control. He stayed behind while he sent his men to war. One night he got up and walked the roof of the palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing (Bathsheba). He wants her so he has her brought to him and they were together. She becomes pregnant and so to hide his sin he has her husband Urriah sent to the front lines and he is killed. This actually started back when he didn't heed God's warning about the king (Deuteronomy 17:17 He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray.) I think we often get a warning like that from God, a little heart check or that small voice as God warns us of impending temptation to sin. We also see here the importance of accountability, having the right people in our lives who love us enough to challenge us and possibly risk offending us to save us from falling. No one questioned what David was up to. Just like our MOPS meeting this morning, again I saw the subject of "wants". In this case, it was that David had grown so used to getting what he wanted that he dove headlong into sin with Bathsheba out of selfish desire. This was a good reminder that we are never far from the possibility of falling and need to guard our hearts and keep ourselves connected to others who we can be accountable to.
I had a really tough workout at the YMCA tonight. The elliptical I normally use wasn't available so I used the treadmill. I went for 30 minutes alternating with 5 minutes of walking and 5 minutes of running. Wow, it felt good to really push myself and work hard so in that way it was rewarding. It was harder on my knees though. Julian did well in the nursery. I got there just in time for closing. Not much else to report so I think I'll call it a night.
2 comments:
I understand how much animals become a part of your family so I will be in prayer for you. It's always heartbreaking to loose a part of your family. My heart goes out to you and I will be praying that the Lord comforts your heart during this time.
My deepest sympathies. I lost my Rio last night, after 16 1/2 years. He was my buddy and pal. We'd moved through 4 states and 8 homes together. He's been the one constant in my life. He started sleeping more and more, which I chalked up to age. Last Wed he went off to a room by himself, which he never does, and stopped eating or drinking. Thurs I took him to the vet and found out that he had developed cancer in his lungs. The poor boy showed no signs, other than sleeping more, right up to the end. What a trooper. I hope your Rio recovered, but in the event he didn't that his passing was quick and easy.
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