Living With Leo

Last April Mike and Mom were riding around when Mike found a baby kitten on the side of the road. Mike knew the kitten was in bad shape and took it to our vet. The vet said he was a week old and had a 50/50 chance of survival and would probably lose his eye. I am scared of cats and would rather not be around them but I did feel sorry for this kitten so I began to pray for him. After three weeks with the vet teaching him how to eat and be social, Ivey adopted "Leo". She had her own place so I would see Leo occasionally. Due to hurricane flooding and mold, Ivey and Leo moved home with us!

Living with Leo is interesting. Cat's are miniature tigers the way they sneak around. Poor Duke (my 3 lb yorkie) just loves everyone, including Leo, and minds his own business. I will see Leo crouched down just waiting for the right moment and then he holds that right arm up and pops Duke on the bottom twice. He hides under the bed when I fold clothes preying on me so he can attack my feet. Leo opens doors, scratches furniture, knocks over water bowls and then plays in the water, turns on the water from the water cooler, plays in the toilet, eats kitchen sponges, unrolls toilet paper, he opens doors, closes doors, washes his face at the bathroom sink while I wash mine, wrestles my door mats among many other things. Often times, we say, "Leo, you are lucky we rescued you. You could be out there in the wilderness right now!" I thought of that last night as I picked him up and he let me cuddle him for about two minutes. Then I thought, I bet God would like to say that to me some time!

I am sure as I continuously mess up God is thinking, "Jill, you are lucky I rescued you! You were a lost soul out there in that wilderness. Just surviving." God would not say "lucky" because He knows it has nothing to do with being "lucky". As many times as I drive Him crazy He still loves me. He has to clean up my messes but He still loves me!

Jeremiah 31: 3, "The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: 'I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'" Other than the Bible, when was the last time you heard the word, "everlasting"? It is not used much these days. It sounds poetic and honestly is a little hard to comprehend. Probably because few things in our world are everlasting. The only thing that I know that is forever is our time with God. God tells us he loves us forever, ongoing, everlasting and unfailing!

Psalm 52:8, "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever." We are reminded 26 times in the Bible that God loves us forever and ever. God loves us even if we mess up or do not accomplish what we should. We are loved no matter what. We have a hard time believing that because we are used to being let down in life. This makes us less trusting of God. We have to believe that God loves NEVER fails and lasts forever and ever!

Psalm 136: 2, "Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever." In the King James version this scripture says his mercy endures forever. Either way the word that sticks out to me is "endure." According to Webster to endure means to "suffer patiently." God's love endures my unbelief. God's love endures my rebellion. God's love endures my sin. God's love endures my unforgiveness. When our lives are in a mess and each day is a struggle we can know that His mercy endures forever. Whenever life is overwhelming, we can know that His mercy endures forever. And thankfully, the Lord's love does not depend on our thankfulness nor our responses! No matter what turmoil we are in, God's love remains the same. It is unchanging, fixed, firm and constant!

These scriptures should bring us such comfort. You can probably quote Psalm 136:2, "Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever." I think repeating this daily will give us calmness and peace. And by doing this we will remember to thank Him for his love which will grow our faith. We are to trust in God's unfailing love that lasts forever!

Next time I want to tell Leo he is lucky Ivey adopted him I will remember that I am blessed that God's love ENDURES forever!