Jesus

I snapped this photo of Macho shortly after giving him a mini-lecture about litterbox hygiene. (You're supposed to cover it! (What? You don't give your cats mini-lectures?)) With the pungent odor of poop in the air, I was reminded of an incident that occurred when I was young.

I think I was in middle school when my (former) family and I went out of town and stayed at the home of another family. Unfortunately, we had a bad experience there. After spending the night in a very unkempt bedroom, the host family's cat took a dump in the litterbox in the bathroom. (And, of course, he didn't cover it.) I think that incident may have solidified my hatred for cats.

It's a good thing I got over that. If I hadn't, I probably would never have met and fallen in love with my feline babies.

"For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." (Isaiah 53:2, talking about Jesus)

During my extremely long Kairos/season of healing, God has kept highlighting an extremely long memory of an incident that happened to me in the 4th grade. I personally have thought that many other things that happened to me in my life were way more traumatic than this, but I think God felt that this particular memory was the most shattering one. Long story short of what happened, I failed miserably at a P.E. kickball game, and I was publicly humiliated and later insulted because of it; and on the ride home, I lay down on the back seat crying unabashedly while my (former) family all sat in the front seat, and I don't remember any of them touching me or comforting me. All of this happened before I got saved, so technically I wasn't Jesus' friend yet. I hadn't been adopted by Father God yet. I hadn't met my Comforter the Holy Spirit yet. So, I think He had plenty to clean up years later. Anyway, I think the people who were supposed to have comforted me back then (at least in theory) neglected to comfort me.

During the past several months, I've been pretty darn cynical when people have tried to comfort me, help me, and/or give me advice. I've talked to some of them about it, but God has gently had to correct me for the rest of it. (Actually, I probably still have more cynicism turds in my heart that I need to poop out.) Maybe to a non-athletic 4th-grader who's had trouble making new friends at a new school, seeing her family not giving a turd about her pain -- especially when they were her only social anchor in a new, scary place -- was a tragic message to send to an impressionable little girl.

So, lately, I haven't wanted to take advice from married people who have it all together and are living out their life's dreams and have easily solvable problems. Give me somebody who has no friends, no family, and no marriage prospects at age 37. I'll take advice from THAT person.

"Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled." (Matthew 26:56b)

"When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then He said to the disciple, 'Behold your mother!' And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home." (John 19:26-27)

"He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." (Isaiah 53:3)

Oh. Jesus fits that description. I'll take advice from Him.

Wait. What about all the crazy, whacked-out temptations that hit my brain every once in a while? How the heck am I supposed to learn how to resist those? Who has ever walked in my shoes?

"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15)

"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." (Jesus talking in Revelation 1:18)

Oh. Jesus knows how to fight hell. The fact that He endured all kinds of crap that was bombarded at Him makes me want to give Him a really big hug the next time I see Him.

Wait. What about when people treat ME like crap? How the heck am I supposed to take that? That can feel unbearable.

"And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.' And they divided His garments and cast lots. And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, 'He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.' " (Luke 23:33-35)

Oh. Jesus knows how to forgive people who treat Him extremely badly, and He's the only Person in human history who NEVER deserved to be treated badly.

Wait. People keep giving me what I feel are the dumbest excuses for not spending time with me. Do people not want to be around me because I'm a terrible person?

"Then He [Jesus] said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, "Come, for all things are now ready." But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused." And another said, "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused." Still another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come." ' " (Luke 14:16-20)

Hmm. I stand corrected. I think maybe Jesus is the One who's really heard the dumbest excuses. I wonder if He's exhausted from the constant rejection.

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

Wow. I definitely want to learn from Jesus. He seriously knows what it's like to be royally dissed over and over and over again. He knows how to do it with the best attitude in the universe. I want to be like Him.

Wait. One thing that really makes me angry is not being defended by somebody who is perfectly capable of defending me. When is anybody ever going to fight for me?

"A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation." (Psalm 68:5)

"Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:11-16)

Cool. Jesus is definitely the Hero I want. He's the One I want to learn from. He's the One who's been healing me, helping me come to terms with my past, and preparing me to grip onto my future. There's no need for me to remain the uncomforted, rejected, humiliated, bitter, angry little 4th-grader who was crying on the back seat all those years ago. Sure, people around me who are supposed to help me will probably ignore me, kick me, or spit in my face. But Jesus will show me how to forgive, how to not use my superpowers against them, and how to be more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37), because He knows how it's supposed to be done. He's the Son of Man. He's da Man.

Jesus knows how to maneuver through the wilderness, how to survive in the desert, how to catapult out of hell, how to love, and how to win. I want to stick with Him. I want to stick with His people, too.

My cat with the litterbox issues is currently quietly demanding a snack from me. It's time for me to go feed him now. Hmm. I love that little guy. I'm sorry I let another cat's turds turn me off to the species for a while. I'm glad I met another cat years later who showed me how loving, how wonderful, and how fun cats can be. Otherwise, I might have missed out on my precious babies.