*Jewels

"Oh it is just a stray"....those were the very words I would use when people would come over to my house and ask me about the raggedy calico cat we named "Jewels" running up to me. Once she came up to me she didn't want to be touched or held; in fact she was so skiddish....she just wanted me to give her food and leave her alone.  I would dismiss her like she had no value; after all I owned a Himalayan cat named Fennick that I chose to purchase and take care of. Fennick I called as my own and would brag about. Jewels was just a cat that chose to live outside and beg for food.

Well today Jewels got ran over by a car. I could tell a few things about her that didn't look good. She wasn't moving her tail and her left hip was deformed looking. During our drive over to the vet Jewels would meow loudly and we would pet and soothe her. We noticed that when we stopped petting her that she would start meowing again. Now remember...she has never let us pet her before! The Vet came in and so did several techs who would talk to Jewels and would pet her and one even kissed her on the head! We were astounded at the way that she purred and wanted to cuddle and be petted. It made me cry. I cried because for years I never hardly touched this cat. This cat that probably wanted to be loved, petted and wanted attention. Here she was in so much pain and all she wanted was our love.

I have to say that all that evening after having to make the decision to put Jewels to sleep that I felt guilt. I felt guilty that I didn't take the time to love something that chose me. I didn't choose her but she chose me. How many times have people chosen to come up to us to talk or ask a question and we just gave them what we thought they wanted...only? What if they really wanted more? What if we were brushing them off like I brushed off Jewels?

God really spoke to my heart that every person, every situation and yes every animal matters. We are all His creation and WE ALL deserve the time, attention and the love that we all truly strive and hope for. Thankfully God never loves any of us less or more than the other. He doesn't look at us like the "unwanted stray" when we come to Him dirty, broken and without a place to go. He scoops us up and loves on us and puts all the missing pieces right back together. He reminds us that we all have a purpose in this life and none of us are unwanted. He CHOSE us and for that....I am happy.

Adjust That Crown

Jonna

*Sidetracked

I pulled into Sonic with my son, put my car in park and rolled down my window. I quickly retrieved my credit card and swiped it through the card reader. My son jerked me into reality when he said, "Mom. What are you doing?" I quickly realized that I hadn't even ordered yet but was scanning my card like Sonic is able to read our minds for that Strawberry Limeade that I so desperately wanted! Trey and I laughed and laughed about that...until we cried!

What I found myself doing that day at Sonic was that I was thinking about something I really needed to do that day, listening to my son Trey tell me a story and all the while worrying about an issue that hasn't been resolved and then of course thirsty for my favorite sweet drink that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Now that is a LOT of things going through my head at one time. I wasn't really paying attention to any of it fully but all of them a little.

 It is really kinda scary how we start to go "through the motions" of life and we aren't really paying attention. There are a lot of people who walk into church Sunday after Sunday, looking all Christian but without Jesus. And they walk out the same way they came in, without Jesus, because they're only going through the motions. It's all too easy to do, sometimes without even realizing it.

Fixing our attention on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, who, in view of the joy set before him, endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   Hebrews 12:2

We are wise to be aware about what we are thinking about – and what we shouldn’t be thinking about. Likewise, we have to be aware at what we are believing – and not believing. When our eyes are focused, we won’t miss out on what God has for us. In fact, the opposite happens – we see ourselves and our lives with amazing clarity. We can receive the goodness, the peace and the love that God has in store for us as believers because we are not sidetracked. We are focused but not worrying about what He is working out for us and that leaves us with loving our family, our community and being happy in the moment....just what we need to be doing.

You are Graciously Adorned


❤ Jonna