Millie

This is Brandon tonight.

When we returned to Las Cruces, Mandy noticed a raw area under our cat Millie's chin.  Mandy took her to the vet yesterday with Caleb.  It's feline acne and she may have gotten it from her plastic food and water bowls.

The process of giving Millie oral antibiotics has been dreadful.  She hates it!  We hold her down, pry her mouth open, attempt to get the pill into her mouth, then squeeze it shut.  We fail over and over again while Millie gets more and more agitated.  She's making lots of crazy noises we've never heard before too.

It's made me think of the pain and suffering we are enduring and we all endure.  Right now, Millie doesn't understand at all why we are doing this.  We know, but she cannot understand.  She probably never will make the connection.

What's been interesting about the process is that Millie is much more submissive while we've held her than I thought she would be.  She hasn't tried to bite or scratch us.  She does indeed hate it, but we can tell that she trusts us.  Mandy speaks words of love to Millie over and over.  It's amazing to see Millie become calm as Mandy talks to her.

Now, what about us?

We can submit to our God who at times sends us pain, or we can fight.  We can lash out at Him with bitterness or we can cry out to Him for help and grace.  Obviously we all dislike the painful things we go through, but we can, at the same time, trust Him as good and in control.

Most of all we must seek to hear His voice that says over and over, "I'm here.  I love you.  I do care.  Keep trusting Me."

Jesus, I pray that You would help me/us submit to You right in the middle of our pain and sorrow.  Help us slow down enough to hear You say, "I do love you.  Look at the cross and never forget how far I've gone to show you My love."

"...though now for a little while

you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—

of greater worth than gold,

which perishes even though refined by fire—

may result in praise, glory and honor

when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen him, you love him;

and even though you do not see him now,

you believe in him and

are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy..." 

1 Peter 1:6b-8

 Here's a little something from Mandy...

Operation Christmas Child National Collection Week is this week!

Consider packing a shoebox to show the love of Jesus to a child somewhere in the world.

To learn more and to find a collection center near you, go here.

If you're in our area, you can drop off at our church, FEFC.