"Do you have a cat?"

I thought, "Oh no! -- can someone just look at me and tell?"

Is he reading some strained expression on my face from trying to coax my cats into the house every night. Or does he see that scratch on my arm.

(Squirt does not like to be picked up while he is eating!)

Actually, he was looking at the hood of my pickup -- covered in paw marks. (He has a cat,. too.)

Squirt does the hood decoration. He runs out to meet me when I drive up.

My other cat, Dirt, doesn't run out to meet anybody. He's way too shy for that.

He will amble up to me slowly, rubbing on every bush along the way -- and rolling on the ground as soon as I speak to him. (Thus, his name; he gets dirty doing that.)

Dirt is a shy cat.

Dirt is a "scardy cat."

He's afraid of everyone but me -- and he used to be afraid of me. It took me weeks to gain his trust.

And considering that, it is remarkable now to pick him up and feel him relax in my arms.

He goes completely limp.

He relaxes every muscle, lets down every guard, and trusts completely.

As this happened the other day, I thought, "I know how my cat feels."

Because that's the way I feel sometimes when I pray.

I come to the Lord, pushed and pulled by the world, and worn out with keeping my guard up. As I move into prayer, I can literally led, my muscles relax and my heartbeat slow.

In those moments, I know what It feels like to dwell in grace and safety. I relax completely.

Now let me tell you -- petting Squirt is quite another experience. He never relaxes. He waits till I relax -- then he bites me!

We all need to relax into God's grace. It's a wonderful feeling.

Remember our Worship/Bible Study, scheduled at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday just so you can come! Small, informal, uplifting. "Come as you are -- leave better."

And remember our church thrift store -- every Saturday, 9:00 - 2:00.

Bargains on Saturday -- and on Sunday the best deal of all.

Grace is free! --- Worship somewhere this weekend.