Left Behind?

Pat and I are gone for our annual four weeks of camping in eastern Washington. As usual we took our pets—two dogs and three cats. I am often asked how and why we take five animals camping with us. After traveling with small children, the “how” is easy—cats in carriers, dogs behind the seats, two litter boxes, old sheets to cover the furniture, pet toys, a vacuum cleaner (!), and a generator to run it. Neither Pat nor I tolerate pet hair, dirt or clutter, so I clean the RV daily—even in the middle of a forest!

The “why” has to do with the pets themselves. All five were rescued—four were brought home by our children. Three were lost (or abandoned) and starving. Two have physical deformities. Two were suffering from abuse. One was badly injured. One was from a shelter. One was headed for the pound and an uncertain future.

Each arrived at our house at different times and at different stages. While their breeds are obvious, we know nothing about their backgrounds. Amazingly, all five of these animals IMMEDIATELY adapted to life in a multi-pet household. Dogs and cats accepted each other from the beginning. Sure the female cats have territorial squabbles at the house—but not when confined to the limited space of an RV! It seems that all five have bonded into a pack. And most of the time, you will find all five together in the same room—the room that their master is in.

While our children still lived at home and were available to house sit, we camped with just the dogs. We started taking “boss cat” Squeak along because she made it obvious that she didn’t like being left behind when the DOGS got to go! When our children moved out of the house, we were left with the problem of what to do with the other two cats. I convinced Pat to try one camping trip with all five, and they adapted to traveling and camping together as easily as they had adapted to living in the same household. These days, all that really matters to them is that they are with “their humans” and with each other. They don’t want to be left behind!

Lost, injured, abandoned, without hope … from diverse backgrounds but rescued by the same Master … adopted into the same family … Doesn’t that sound like the church? But are we willing to accept others? Are we willing to adapt to change? Are we willing to relinquish “territorial rights?” Are we willing to embrace diversity? Are we willing to do whatever it takes to be with the Master—to not be left behind?

All five of our pets have been rescued. All five have been healed and adopted, and now they have themselves adapted and bonded. All five will be going with us wherever we go. No one will ever be left behind.

What about you?

Pastor Kit

Reflections

Gardening mavens tout the benefits of incorporating water features into home landscapes. Moving water soothes, still water reflects, and all water attracts wildlife. So Pat and I installed a small pond and two birdbaths in our back yard.

We purchased pond plants and goldfish, and then sat back to enjoy the benefits of our water features. Birds came, but so did the raccoons! Plants were toppled. Goldfish disappeared. But despite these nuisances we have decided... the pond and the birdbaths are here to stay!

The pond is the initial attention getter. It incorporates a fountain and a watercourse; you hear it before you see it. Visitors look for the source of the sound and delight when they find it. But while the pond sounds soothing and looks attractive, it isn't very practical as a "watering hole." The recirculating water has a chemical added to control algae. The water's surface is well below the rim; it is out of the reach of (and too deep for) birds.

The birdbaths are the mainstays of our water features. The "crow birdbath" is located under the hemlocks at the back of the yard away from the house. It attracts larger birds: woodpeckers, ravens, and... crows. We keep binoculars in the kitchen window for closer observation of the birds at this feature.

The second birdbath is next to the house beside the pond just outside Pat's window. It attracts smaller songbirds who flit about in the shrubbery in that part of the garden. Both birdbaths can been seen from the kitchen, family room, or living room. Pat and I frequently can be heard shouting to each other, "Quick! Look at the birdbath!"

The birdbaths do more than attract birds, they also reflect light--both sunlight and moonlight. The reflected light shimmers when the breeze ripples the water, and I often find myself mesmerized by the scintillation as I stand at the sink washing dishes.

Of course it's the water that attracts. The pond and the birdbaths themselves are merely vessels. And if these vessels aren't tended regularly--cleaned and filled--they can become repositories for all kinds of debris. They can even become breeding grounds for mosquitoes... and the most attractive features of the back yard then become detriments.

We too are vessels that need the ongoing cleansing and filling of the Holy Spirit if our lives are to consistently reflect our faith and attract others to the Savior. If we neglect the spiritual disciplines of Bible study, regular prayer, and Christian fellowship, then we begin to collect the debris of the world. And what should be attractive to others--a life that reflects the living God--becomes a detriment.

Who (or what) are you reflecting these days?

Pastor Kit

You've GOT To Be Kidding!

I believe that God has a sense of humor. And I believe that He sometimes uses it to reveal Himself--and that He is an agent of change.

When Pat and I were first engaged, Pat told me that he was considering going into the ministry. I immediately told him to count me out, that I was in no way suited to be a pastor's wife! So God tweaked the plan a bit. Pat did, indeed, go to seminary--later in life. And I became the pastor. And Pat became the pastor's spouse!

I was reminded of this reversal as I was cleaning out an old desk. Our son Brandon is home from South Korea and will soon be leaving for his next duty station in San Antonio. He and Hiu Sze will be establishing a residence together for the first time since college. They will be taking my old desk with them--along with some other furniture. It has been quite some time since I used this desk, and it has become a "time capsule" of sorts. Old instruction manuals, tax receipts from the last century, vet bills for deceased pets... and my children's school progress reports. The thickest file belonged to Brandon.

I smiled as I leafed through the yellowed papers. Elementary school had been a difficult time for Brandon. He invariably scored low on tests designed to measure achievement in math and language. His teachers feared that he would fall far behind his peers. Later, he was diagnosed with "auditory dyslexia," and this explained some of the problem... but not all of it. I worked with him, pushing him until we both became too frustrated to continue.

When his middle school teachers called to tell me that he was "way behind," I told them that I was finished intervening. I was frustrated, out of ideas. Brandon would have to deal with the consequences of his own behavior. And I turned my son over to God because I didn't know what else to do.

But God had a plan. And when Brandon began to align himself with God's plan, miracles began to happen. By his junior year in high school, Brandon was taking honors classes.

But nothing Pat or I could say or do would convince Brandon that he was college material. He enlisted in the Army during his senior year in high school and left for active duty just a few days after graduation.

Seven years later, Brandon returned home with more self-confidence and a clear idea of what he DIDN'T want to do with his life. He enrolled at the local community college where Pat and I were both teaching math. When colleagues would ask Brandon what he planned to major in, he always replied, "I don't know, but it WON'T be math!" And he had NO INTENTION of returning to the Army. Ever!

As math teachers, Pat and I frequently had to engage adult learners who still heard voices from the past telling them that they were stupid... or lazy... or worthless... and that they would never "get" math. That they would never amount to anything! But then they would begin to succeed in a subject where they had always failed before. And the most amazing transformation would begin to take place.

The second year that Brandon was in school, the community college hired him to tutor math and English. He became president of the honor society. He was awarded the president's medal, was a governor's scholar, and won a full academic scholarship to a state university. Later Pat and I attended his graduation--and commissioning as a second lieutenant in the US Army. Oh, did I mention that his degree was in math?

I returned to cleaning out the old desk. I tossed all of Brandon's school records into the recycle bag... they were of no more worth than the old instruction manuals, tax receipts, and vet bills. And we certainly didn't need any more reminders of those difficult early years.

But what about you? Are you still storing memories of past failures and defeats? Are you leafing through yellowed files full of negative messages from the past? And are you using them to convince yourself that nothing will ever really change for the better? So why even bother to ask God for help??

My life changed. Brandon's life changed. God is an agent of change, and He delights in revealing Himself through His sense of humor! Let Him change YOU.

Pastor Kit
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
(Ps 37:4)