Phil,
I enjoyed reading your story about your lizard. I have at least a couple of
things to say that I've learned, that are related to God's message of love
to you and me, and certainly to all His children.
Last week, one of the Daybreak clients, (I'll call her T), brought in her
beloved cat, because someone else, J, said he/she would take her. T saw
that she had to give it away because she would otherwise have to pay a
bundle a month to keep her, and apparently, she wouldn't want to move. then
it seemed that J said he/she couldn't take her after all. I heard two of my
other friends talking: G was urging L to take her. they both loved cats,
and G was concerned that the cat would be put to sleep if she didn't have a
home, and that would be terrible! I prayed not only that the cat would be
given a home, but that, if it is within God's will, He would make a way for
T to keep her. For one thing, animals are therapeutic for those who live
with troubled minds. It seemed that the Lord told me that, even if she was
put to sleep, she would still be all right. The same is true for any
animal, even when treated unfairly and cruelly; there is an end to all their
suffering.
I also appreciate the message you got that, when you get to Heaven, Jesus
would give you another green Lizard, although I would have been more
comforted if it were the very same lizard! He showed me, perhaps a
semblance of what He showed you about wanting to identify with you:
Remember when, (somewhere in the gospels), after the rich young ruler turned
away sad, because he had great wealth, and Peter essentially asked, "What's
in it for us to Follow you?" It seems that we may be commonly taught that
we should not ask such a question, and just follow Jesus no matter what.
But notice that Jesus did not say, "It doesn't matter, just follow me," or
"Oh you'll get something better than what you've sacrificed." Instead, He
came down to their level, and specifically told them that for the houses,
children, fields, etc that they left behind, they would receive a hundred
times as much of those very things, along with persecution, then eternal
life! Those items were probably things that people cared a lot about in
those days. For me, it would be music keyboards, computers, and other
things that I can be creative with. One of my symptoms of obsessive
compulsive disorder is the thought pattern that says that I cannot enjoy
anything now because I somehow got it the wrong way, and that if I'd done
all the right things, I would not have acquired them. Thus I am sad to
think that the only way I can have what I like might be by sinning! The
Lord showed me that, if there is anything of this nature that I would want
when I get to Heaven, I can have them, because I'll never want what I can't
have! the same would be true if He were to ask me to give any of that up to
follow Him, (another one of my fears). If He would have just said, "You'll
get something that is much better, and you won't miss those petty things," I
would not be comforted nearly as much as what He actually did say.
Sharon
|