Preparations

            This week I am adopting a cat from ARF (Animal Rescue Foundation).  For several months, I’ve been busy preparing.

            For reasons I cannot fully explain, just thinking about getting a cat motivated me to declutter and organize my home.  I guess it’s sort of like preparing for the royal queen’s visit—or an hour with my two-year-old grandson.  Cats are like queens in their regal manner:  it’s said that dogs have masters, but cats have staff.  Felines are also like toddlers who get into everything, the key difference being that height is no barrier.

            I decided early on to let the closets remain disaster areas for the meantime and concentrate on the visible clutter.  I worked my way through living room, kitchen, and bathrooms.  Now I am nearly finished with my office, which has been the general “throw things in there when I don’t know where to put them” room.  Plus, my desk was a study in stacks of papers I intended to throw away or file later. 

            All the efforts I’ve made—including multiple ARF visits to make sure cat fur won’t aggravate my allergies—in order to welcome Her Highness Tango into my home have made me wonder if King Jesus receives the royal welcome He deserves.

 

            Do I make room for Jesus in my daily life?  Do I declutter my soul through repentance and forgiveness?  Is He welcome in every room of my being—including the closets?  Do I allow His love to sweep away sin’s debris?  Do I live like He is both honored guest and royal head of my home?  Do I delight in the spontaneous joy He brings?

            I hope so.