Friday, October 13, 2017

Life in God’s Garden: Part 4

There is a saying that I actually “borrowed” from an eleven year old during my baseball coaching days of Little League.  It’s one that most people would like to claim I suppose. 

Whenever Mark got excited about anything he would say, “I love it when a plan comes together.”  Well, so do I and wish that would have been the case this past week.  

For months I scheduled, planned, organized and did all I could to get ahead and prepare for the upcoming seasons.  With details falling into place it looked like my diligent efforts would be honored.   

The weekend was over and our plans to have a quiet holiday together were in place.  Hubby had to return videos to the library, run an errand and the rest of Monday was ours. 

There’s no way we could have known what was about to happen, but there is no doubt that what transpired was divinely orchestrated. From here hubby gives the details of the blessed account that changed everything! 

Welcome new friends this week from:
See if your city/state/country made the list. 

International – Montreal, QC, Canada; Pathum Thani, Thailand; Luxembourg; Malaysia; Puerto Rico; Timor-Leste; Venezuela; Denmark; Nasik, Maharashtra, India; Chile; Paraguay; Iraq; ; Angola; Japan; Kuwait; Singapore; Algeria; Czech Republic; Peru; Guatemala; Nigeria; Perth, WA, Australia; Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom; Dnipropetrovsk, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine; Nasik (Nashik), Maharashtra, India.  

USA Chisago City, MN; Timberlake & Watership Downs, NC; Bunker Hill, WV; Eagar & Whiteriver, AZ; Eucha, OK; Frankfort, KY; Fairborn, OH; Rutledge, TN; Glynco, GA; Bossier City, Grambling & Ruston, LA; Kalkaska & Jackson, MI; Dartmouth, Fall River, New Bedford & Springfield, MA; Bismarck & Linton, ND; Russell, VA; Streator, IL; Dubuque, IA; Hutchinson, KS; Pitman & Vineland, NJ; Abilene & Houston, TX.

I am so thankful for your visit and hope that you come back each week to participate in the weekly challenges.  Join us in our new series as we spend time in the study of Daily Favor Relationships. 

You are welcome to leave comments or prayer requests below.  All are private. I would love to hear from you and how Daily Favor has worked in your life.  Contact me by leaving a message in the box at the bottom of this week’s post.  

Don't miss out on this week's challenge (below).
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Lunch Run 

It’s one of the busiest intersections in the city. Some come to this part of town at lunchtime for the restaurants, others do shopping or banking … me, the agenda was baked potatoes at Wendy’s. 

When honey is hungry and it’s time to eat that’s when I go to work… I’m the errand runner, that’s my job.  It was Monday October 2nd, 2017 and warm that afternoon.  Fay and I were working in the same division when the boss (her) sent me out to run errands.  I’m hubby and this is my story. 

It was 1:00 pm and I was on my way to pick up lunch and be back in fifteen minutes.  That was the plan, but we wouldn’t have our meal that day … no we wouldn’t eat for at least several more hours. 

The Story of My Life 

The story you are about to read is true, the names have been changed to protect the innocent … okay, there aren’t any names to change but it goes with the plot so go with it. 

At 1:10 pm I realized that the videos I was to return to the library were still on my front seat.  Getting totally distracted I turned the wrong way forgetting about them, and drove in the opposite direction toward the center of town.  My first stop was the bank at the corner of the intersection. 

This particular intersection has a total of ten lanes converging.  After making my transaction at the bank I pulled out into traffic and into the left turn lane. There was one car in front of me. 

With no delay the car moved forward when the light turned green and I proceeded to make my turn as well.  As I was into my turn I saw a tiny kitten in the middle of the intersection and jammed on my brakes coming to a jolted stop. 

Jumping out of my car (or as close to a jump as I can muster these days) I quickly tried to corral that little baby.  Back and forth, bending up and down I went trying to capture the critter but it kept escaping my grasp by hiding under the vehicle. 

Out of Reach 

Cars and trucks went whipping by on all sides with no one stopping to see what the matter was or if there was trouble.  Weren’t they curious as to why a grown man was making some ridiculous moves in the middle of oncoming traffic? 

There she was, yes I knew it was a female from her coloring.  Such a frightened but smart little thing; hiding under the car she stayed just out of my reach. 

All I could do was focus on trying to get this kitten out of harm’s way before anything happened.  Disregarding the danger I laid down on the road slowly pulled myself under the car, but within seconds the kitten disappeared out of sight. 

Search the Vehicle 

On the other side of the intersection to the right of me was a car waiting for the light to change so it could move.  I could see a few people in it shouting directions, but I couldn’t hear them due to the NASCAR racers that were blowing past me.   

Getting out from under my car a man in a pick-up truck pulled up next to me pointing as he kept driving, “The cat went up inside your engine!” 

“Great” I thought!  Now what am I going to do?  I don’t want the cat running back into the road, and with the motor on how can I move the vehicle? 

Getting back into my car I began to drive as slow as possible, aggravating the motorists behind me.  Completing my turn out of the intersection I pulled into the empty parking lot only a few feet past the light and immediately shut off the engine.

Pulling in right behind me was the car across the lane with the two ladies and a teenage boy who were trying to tell me what they witnessed.  Opening the hood the four of us started looking for the kitten and all around the car to see if she would try to make a run for it. 

No one saw her, but then I spotted this form curled up in a small pocket beneath the hood hinge.  Motioning to the young man to come over to me I pointed to the prize find. “Look … there.” 

She was shaking and growling as I leaned in to retrieve the foundling.  Her little whiskers had been singed by the hot engine, but other than that she was purr-fectly fine!  Placing the kitten on my chest I thanked the kind strangers for their help and got back in the car. 

Embraced in my arms the feline loudly expressed her discontent.  What was I to do?  By now it was 1:30 p.m. and my craving for a baked potato with broccoli, cheese, sour cream and oozing with butter didn’t sound appealing after dodging traffic for the past twenty minutes. 

Calling home from the parking lot I informed my wife that I couldn’t do the rest of the errands and was coming home.  Not long into our conversation Fay asked, “What is that noise? What’s the matter?” 

She didn’t seem alarmed but was inquiring about the background sounds, which she would soon find out when I arrived home packing something other than lunch. 

God's Angels Given Charge  

Our plans for a quiet holiday literally came to a screeching halt that day when God placed a creation of His before my husband’s eyes.  When he described the event (leaving out his Dragnet version) I kept replaying it in my mind. 

 
At first I didn’t understand why he moved the car, but then I could see how he had no choice but to trust God to keep everyone involved safe.  How did that kitten get in that situation and not be harmed or destroyed?  I knew immediately. 

"For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him." (Psalm 34:7)
 
Every day we pray Psalm 91 over our family including the animals in our charge.  We place angels all around us as scriptures declare.  It was God’s angels that protected my husband and the kitten during that busy time in that ten lane intersection. 

“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place.  No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." (Psalm 91:9-11 NKJV)  

When we trust God as our protector and refuge it enables His Word to go into action.  My husband didn’t have time to stop and pray for protection, favor and blessings … he had to be ready to act, believing God would keep His promise in the relationship He had with the person who believes Him. 

God also honored my husband’s compassion for His animal and acknowledged his act of kindness as something He would do.  In other words, God expects man to care for His animals in righteousness. Those who do not value the life of one of God’s creatures He sees them as evil. 

“A righteous man regards the life of his animal, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." (Proverbs 12:10 NKJV) 

“A man who is right with God cares for his animal, but the sinful man is hard and has no pity." (Proverbs 10 NLV) 

I like what the Message Bible says concerning the relationship God has with His animals. 

Every creature in the forest is Mine, the wild animals on all the mountains. I know every mountain bird by name; the scampering field mice are My friends.” (Psalm 50:10 MSG) 

If God loves and cares for the animals, our relationship with animals should reflect that of our Maker. 

 “Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; Your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast You save, O Lord. “ (Psalm 36:6 ESV) 

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Here is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.” (Psalm 104:24-25 ESV) 

This brings us to the next blessing in Life in God’s Garden. Relationships! 

If you haven’t read the first blessings discussed you can here.  
 
 

The Ten Blessings of Eden – continued. 

Ninth Blessing – God blessed mankind with relationships, with Himself, animals and one another.  No matter how you look at it, we were not supposed to be without companionships throughout our entire life. 

Let’s break it down into three sections. 

First God created the relationships He wanted. 

 
God created Adam (male and female aka “Adam” the word meaning “man”) and animals for Himself.  In reality, He created everything He wanted for His pleasure to lavish favor upon His creation. 

“For by Him (GOD) all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16 ESV) 

The Creator of all things wanted relationships in which He could enjoy. It has always been His plan to give Daily Favor to His creation whether it is a human or animal.  If you want a relationship with God, click here Tell Me about Jesus” for more information on salvation and becoming a child of the Savior.  

When He created this world God intended to provide for both man and beast.  Proof of this love is mentioned to Adam in God’s Garden, which is the next section. 

Second God created animals for mankind. 

“And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.’  Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air…” Genesis 2:18-19 NKJV) 

The relationship of animals with mankind wasn’t the same as it is now (after the fall of man because of sin).  Life in God’s garden had different responsibilities than what we deal with in this age. 

We generally put animals in categories, work, pleasure as in pets, harmful, tame, essential, non-essential or miscellaneous meaning we don’t know what purpose they serve.  Even though life is different between man and beast outside the Garden of Eden, there are some things that God intended to last forever between His “creature” creations. 

God desires for us to love animals as He does and enjoy their fellowship daily regardless of their standing in life.  I remember distinctly hearing (in my spirit) Jesus saying, “I would take time to play with her.”  He was referring to my cat (the only rescue we had at that time) when we were moving. 

The house was in disarray with strangers coming and going.  She was distraught so I took time out of my duties and sat down on the floor in an empty room with her.  I regained her trust and everything worked out well. 

The favor of having animals in our lives doesn't stop with them just being around or used for our purposes. It is our responsibility to care for, protect, and yes even at times rescue an animal putting our plans aside allowing God to show His mercy and blessing on a job well done. 

Jehovah wanted this relationship to be so great that He favored man entrusting him with the privilege of knowing, having dominion over and naming the animals.  God brought and presented them as individual creations.  

“… have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28b NKJV) 

“… and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:19b – 20 NKJV) 

Adam would recognize they were not like him, but had the ability to love and be loyal. 

Third He created the female Adam – man. 

“And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.  Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman…” (Genesis 2:21-22 NKJV) 

I know you want to read more about this relationship, but that will come later! 
 
Think on This Challenge:
Just Me and My Mammal 

For the past ten days we have had the pleasure of caring for the one pound four ounce rescue that God put before hubby’s eyes.  Hand feeding, burping, bathing and playing with a four week old is time consuming, tiring and repetitious, but what a blessing and bundle of fun she has brought to our lives. 

Say hello to Angel Kitty.
Caring for who we now call “Angel” (you can guess why that seemed appropriate) has literally brought my husband and I closer together, along with the other rescues in our care. 
 
We sit side by side on the sofa for each of her feedings laughing, smiling and enjoying the innocence of new life.  Everything else stops and it’s just us – human(s) and animal(s) building and renewing relationships of past, present and future.  

Did our plan come together?  Not exactly, but God's did and that is better than anything we could have imagined.  I'd rather be in right standing with Him because His ways are higher than mine.
 
It was during one of her feedings that this week's think on this challenge came to mind.  What would life and your relationships be like between you and a pet (whether it is current or in the past) if you never had to feed, shelter, bathe, medicate or tend to them, because God still did that?   

Hmmm … that’s a good one! 

Life in God’s garden is a life of favor I could live with – now and forever!  Now would be really good though, especially since it’s 3:40 a.m. and Angel is running all over the room having discovered she can jump! 


 

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Until next time, favor the life of animals!
 
“A righteous man shows favor to My creatures.”
Jesus Christ 

*Unless noted, the names in articles are changed to protect the individual(s) privacy. 

Note: Emphasis is given in some scriptures to show clarity or understanding and is not to take away from the inspirited Word of God. 

Disclaimer: Article information is not meant to be used as treatment for mental or physical issues, but geared toward spiritual awareness. 

What’s New This Week: Click on the photo or link.

 
Exploring Creation with Zoology 3
By Jeannie K. Fulbright
Hardback pp. 288 

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Scripture references provided by Gateway Bible in the New King James Bible Version or as noted. 

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