Motley is the newest member of our family. We adopted him from an animal shelter in Los Angeles last summer and brought him home to my daughter Ally’s downtown apartment.
At first, he was the definition of “scaredy cat,” hiding when you talked to him and only coming out from under the sofa for food and litter-box breaks. But eventually, that little kitty warmed up to us and began exploring Ally’s little apartment.
He and Ally lived in that small apartment, keeping each other company, until she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising this past March. Since then, Motley and Ally have been living in our Hoosier home back in Indiana while Ally pursues employment opportunities.
Of course, our home is much larger than Ally’s LA apartment. In fact, her entire apartment could almost fit in our master bedroom suite, which is where you’ll find Motley 24/7.
When Motley moved in with us, I thought he would be so excited to have an entire house to roam around and do whatever it is that cats do all day, but that’s not the case.
He almost never leaves my bedroom and its familiar dimensions.
In an effort to get Motley out of his self-imposed confined quarters, I have carried him downstairs to spend time with the family and see what he is missing out on, but as soon as I put him down, he sprints back upstairs. You might say, it’s his “kitty comfort zone.”
As I sit here loving on Mr. Motley right now, I realize that I’m really not that different from him. There are times when I know God is trying to “carry me downstairs,” urging me to “explore all that He has for me,” and yet I am perfectly content to stay in my own little comfort zone. Like Motley, I feel safe there, so I simply stay in my self-imposed confined quarters.
It may feel safe, but it’s actually a very dangerous mindset.
When we get too comfortable, spiritually speaking, we aren’t able to walk in all that God has for us, or do all that He desires to accomplish through us.
Sometimes, we fool ourselves into thinking we’re just “enjoying the comforts of life,” but in reality, we’re afraid to step out of the safety of our sanctuary and follow the Lord’s leading.
I’m hoping that one day soon, Motley will venture out into other parts of the house and take advantage of the morning sun in our sunroom, as well as spend time with the family in our living room. I know he will love both!
I imagine God is hoping the same thing for all of us. Not only does He have work for us to do, but also He has blessings awaiting us if we’ll only follow Him. So, c’mon all you “comfortable cats,” let’s step out of our comfort zones today.
