"You did not choose me, but I chose you" were Jesus's words to his disciples just hours before he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was not making a theological statement or setting forth a doctrine about the sovereignty of God. He was simply saying to this rag-tag band of misfits what any rabbi would have said to his disciples. Rabbis chose their students, and the best rabbis chose the most promising students. And it is unlikely that any rabbi would have chosen the disciples Jesus chose.
And so it is with Wrai the cat.
Just in case you're new to the chronicles of Wrai, my wife, Sherri, chose to begin feeding this little grey cat after seeing him digging in the garbage. Homeless and wasting away, Wraith, as we began calling him, needed someone to care for him. And so, for two years, we fed him every morning and evening. During those two years, Wrai never let us pet him. Nevertheless, he became our cat, making his home in our backyard. And, once again, the reason he became our cat is because we chose him.
After trapping him, taking him to the vet, and bringing him from Pensacola, Florida, to High Point, North Carolina, we placed his little house in the guest bathroom along with a litter box in the bathtub. For the first couple of weeks, we fed him as usual but left the bathroom door shut. But the day came when we opened the door and began placing his food in the hallway. At first, the food disappeared, and Wrai could be seen in his little house every morning when we got up. But after several nights, Wrai began to roam, exploring his new environment.
One early morning, as Sherri headed downstairs for her coffee, there was Wrai on the bottom step. Immediately, he bolted. We didn't see him for the rest of the day. But once the lights were out and we were safely behind the closed doors of our bedroom, Wrai emerged from hiding, eating the treats we left around the condo and licking the bowl of cat pate Sherri left for him in the living room.
In time, we will open the back door, leave a plate of food outside, and Wrai will, hopefully, resume his status as an outdoor, feral cat. And we will resume our morning and evening outdoor dining arrangement.
Just as he made our backyard in Florida his home, I'm hoping Wrai does the same here in North Carolina. We spend a lot of time in our backyard. Sherri digs in the dirt, nurturing plants and flowers. I enjoy watching her, occasionally lending a hand. And Wrai does his thing, just minding his own business.
Jesus chose you and me. In our pitiful state, wasting away in a world filled with garbage on which we constantly dined, he chose us. Our Lord's choice had nothing to do with how attractive we were. It wasn't because we could add so much value to God's kingdom. Our chosen status has nothing to do with our nature and everything to do with his. He loves us. He cares for us. And he longs for the day when we are completely at home in his presence.
For my part, I'm more at home in my Caretakers presence than ever before, but I still have a long way to go. Like Wrai, I still tend to keep my distance, sometimes hiding from him just as my Great, Great Grandmother, and Granddaddy did in the garden so many ages ago. But I've learned, as I hope Wrai is learning, that the one who chose me will never leave or forsake me. You can be certain of that as well.
In Christ,
Dan
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You can listen to my weekly messages at Embrace Church, High Point.