Good morning…
One late afternoon several years ago, as I finished hosting class in our living room, my mind wandered weirdly to a friend in California. My close high school friend had moved from our suburb of Cleveland, Ohio to a suburb of Los Angeles to pursue his acting passion, he had not married or had kids, and he had built a life he loved alongside his adventuresome cat, Midnight. Strangely, he stayed on my mind for the next several minutes. I sensed the Spirit spurring me to call him in the middle of the day, in the middle of the week, totally out of the blue.
“I cannot believe you are calling me right now,” he said seeing my name on his caller I.D., before I could even say “Hello.”
“Midnight died in my arms less than fifteen minutes ago,” he said as quick as a heart beats. “How did you know to call me?”
In awe I responded, “God’s Spirit brought you to mind and nudged me to call you.” I was as pleasantly surprised as he.
Over the next thirty minutes, he told me in tender detail about how his fifteen year old cat had been sick and the vet let him know she was nearing death. She had labored through the night beside my friend in bed and had taken her final breath around noon that day (just as the class in our Atlanta, Georgia home was ending, separated by a three hour time zone). Later his vet said that precious Midnight was one of the small percentage of cats who dies of old age, naturally, unassisted, in the arms of a loving caregiver.
Even more amazingly to my non-church-going friend was that our invisible God could spur me from states away to reach out to him in his time of intimate loss. Regardless of our slight differences in belief, is it possible we are all held every moment of every day in the arms of the same loving Caregiver?
With your very own hands you formed me; now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you. When they see me waiting, expecting your Word, those who fear you will take heart and be glad. I can see now, God, that your decisions are right; your testing has taught me what’s true and right. Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight! just the way you promised. Now comfort me so I can live, really live; your revelation is the tune I dance to (Psalm 119:73-78, MSG).
…Sue…
