Quiet Moments With The LORD... #5

Coco, The Vet & The Red Fabric

January 11, 2019, Friday - 5:50 pm to January 12, 2019, Saturday - 2:50 pm

I woke up this morning, after having a DRAMA Ministry meeting, last night, with a question that has been plaguing me since the launch of this ministry. I was wondering why so many hurting people are, like the impotent man sitting by the pool, year after year. In fact, I had this discussion with one of my spiritual daughters Tuesday night. While we were talking, I saw a picture of a man sitting by the side of the pool many, many years, with all of the others, who were also impotent in one way or another. I could see him feeling sorry for himself and, in his present company they all began to chime in, as well. After all, as the old saying goes, “Misery loves company”. When I got home last night, as I was reflecting on what had taken place, my soul began to pour out of a deep well, as an overwhelming sadness enveloped me for all the hurting women in this world (Brothers, I do realize that you are hurting from maternal abuse, as well, but until God releases that portion of this ministry, it, and I, will remain focused on the women. May the LORD cover you in His grace as He speaks to you about where you need to go to receive the healing you need, now! Amen!!!). When that happened, I found myself huddled over as tears began to pour down my face. This is a burden I have felt for many, many years (I recently reread some old journal entries from 1991, where I stated this burdening for women in my soul). The thought of people living well beneath the victorious privilege, already paid for, by the shed blood of Christ, is simply, to me, heartbreaking. I just thought of a phrase/prayer that I have heard over the years, it says something like, “Dear God, I want my heart to break over the things that break Your heart”. Looking back on my life, I see that this is not a new road I am on, but a continuous one. Without You, Dear LORD, I can do nothing. With You, I can do all things, for it is You, who gives me the strength. Thank You, LORD! January 11, 2019 – Friday

January 12, 2019 – Saturday

As you can see, I started this blog yesterday, but will be finishing it today. Well, let me explain the reason why those three photos of my girl kitty, Coco, are included in this blog. They were taken on Monday evening, December 17, 2018, while we were waiting for an emergency appointment with her vet. When I first began bringing them (she has a brother, Buttons, who is the cutest tuxedo kitty), to the vet, they were as quiet as little lambs. However, they are over ten years old, now, and along the way, have had their share of emergencies that needed appropriate medical intervention. So, now they have come to associate those visits and getting placed in carriers, with shots, anal temperature readings, boarding away from home, strange smells, barking dogs, strange people touching them, or blow draws. Now, instead of those little lambs, I have to have a full chorus of kitty “mewlings” accompanying me in my truck, on the way to the vet. I also have to wiggle my fingers through those little, side opening on the carrier to allow Coco to rub her head on them, to silence her for briefs moments. Thank goodness the vet is local.

Once we got there, I noticed that she had moved the red fabric rather strategically (actually a cut-up, leftover from one of my old shirts that I placed in the carrier for her to lie on), as a sort of protective covering. I had to laugh at her antics and then decided, why not take a photo. You know how most of us are with our cell phones, so near at hand. The first two, were taken in the waiting room, as I was talking to her. The third one was taken in the examining room, after her preliminary checks were given. Fortunately, I was able to stay in there with her, and carry her to the scale, along with holding her when the temperature reading was being taken. I say, fortunately, but in actuality, I would have preferred to pass on the temperature thing. But, as a “kitty mom”, I know she relies on me to be her rock and place of comfort as indicative of the time she has tried to climb under the sweater I was wearing at the time, to hide from the vet. So there, I stood praying that darn thermometer would hurry up and settle on a final reading, as Coco began to become uncomfortable with the whole procedure. Once back in her carrier, and with the exit of the tech, I then saw she had completely covered the opening in the carrier (photo three). In effect stating in kitty-speak, “I can’t see you and you can’t see me. Now, take me home!” If only I could, we would have made a hasty retreat. Alas, I knew that she was going to need another exam, as well as a possible blood test; and, in that case, they would be taking her to another section of the clinic, where I would not be able to go with her. I continued praying for both of us. I kid you not, I don’t like being there anymore than she does. I totally dislike having her so upset, while I just stand there wanting to gather her in my arms and take her back home. The funny thing was that earlier that day, I had looked at a video where a pastor was preaching about God changing our plans. Shortly after that, I walked into my bedroom and saw her in distress. Needless to say, a vet visit was not on my list for that day, either, but here we were, anyway.

Finally, when the vet came in to do his examination, Coco blatantly refused, to come out of the carrier, even with me using soothing speech and gentle tugs. We finally agreed to take the cover off, as I lifted her out and placed her on the exam table, sans carrier. I really started praying then, because she was extremely agitated and uncomfortable (Thank God, it was Coco and not Buttons. Buttons has a tendency to express his displeasure in more than verbal ways; and, I have the scratches, and temporary teeth marks, to prove it. I can laugh about it now). After that was over, we were in wait-mode again, until the new plan could be drawn up and I signed on the dotted line. Long story, shortened a bit, she received her blood test and a few days later the results. She is fine, just, as they call her “a senior kitty”. However, there is always a period of adjustment when she comes home. Buttons takes one whiff of her and starts hissing. This can go on for days. She comes up to him and he hisses or whines for me to do something, especially when they both want to be near me, at the same time. She does not know what is wrong with him, and the feeling is indeed mutual. My job, during that time, is to offer them both comfort, and keep corralling them away from each other, long enough, until normalcy is restored.

I wrote all that because while I was asking the LORD why people appear to be more comfortable in their various states of “sickness”, when healing, restoration and deliverance are freely available, He brought those photos up in my mind’s eye. Coco being a kitty does not understand that when I place her in the carrier, she is going to the vet to get whatever she needs to bring her back to wholeness. That is my job as her “kitty mom”. She, however, just knows that her rather comfortable life, even in the face of a medical emergency, is being disrupted in some way and, more than likely, some type of pain or discomfort will be at the end of our destination. How many of us would rather “hide” than face the work necessary to bring about complete healing in our lives? How many, knowing that some form of “pain” may accompany that deliverance, would rather stay at the side of the pool? Still, how many of us would crawl on our hands and knees, one inch at a time, if necessary to get in that water? Jesus knows what we need and Who we need, to bring about healing that is irreversible. He states in His Word, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14: 6

Do not be deceived. We have a very real enemy, whose sole purpose, is to keep us from ever walking in our purpose, and in the newness of life through Christ Jesus. But Jesus has made a way for us, as stated in Luke 22: 31 & 32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”; and, in John 10: 7 – 11, “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep”.

Let us allow the Good Shepherd to carry us where we need to go, to get the healing we so desperately need. For only He knows what is truly best for us; even in the midst of our pain, which may come and go, His desire is to make us whole and wholly His. Unlike Coco, let the “red fabric” we completely cover ourselves with be the blood of Jesus, as we submit to His authority and humble ourselves to receive, without complaint, in full acknowledgement, that only in acceptance of Him, as Savior and LORD, will He, then be able to take us to the place, in Him, where complete healing is found! Hallelujah and Amen!!!

John 5: 1 – 9

After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case , he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.