Companion on My Journey

All day yesterday, I was sad, felt like weeping. I also was in physical pain - my right upper back into the right side of my neck. I must have lifted something a little too heavy for me a couple days before. In my sadness, I was restless. Finally, at 9:45 at night, I decided I needed to get away from the house for a while and go for a walk. I didn't want to walk alone, especially at that hour, so I asked my husband, David, if he would go with me. Unless, he is working, David almost never refuses a walk - God bless him.

On our walk, David was telling me all about Gorham (where we now live): "The 7 Eleven used to be a bank." - and so on. Later into the walk, we were passing by the railroad tracks. It was a long stretch of tracks - no lights, pitch black . My imagination of what kind of scary things could be lurking in the darkness began to take hold of me. I asked David, "Do you think there could be bears out there ." "No, he said. Bears avoid the towns, but if there was a bear around, the town reports the sighting in the newspaper to alert everyone. When the bear is found, they move the bear somewhere away from town." He wasn't worried, so I tried not to worry, too. I didn't want to be annoying to David by saying, "What if we are the ones who see the first sighting of the bear?", so I didn't mention it and I tried to follow David's example of not worrying. Almost immediately after this, from the other pitch black side of the road, something came running towards us. I tried to remain calm to see what it was before panicking. It was a beautiful gray cat. By the size of the cat, it looked just shy of a year old - the friendliest little thing. He or she (too dark to tell, and the cat was too active to get a look) was wrapping around our legs. David LOVED that - he's allergic to animals. Of course, I was also loving it, in the true sense of the word 'love'. This little kitty brought so much joy to me. Because I was so happy with the cat, David did not shoo him or her away. I'm sure he would rather the cat not be there, plastering his pants with cat hair. Again, God bless you, David. The cat was so affectionate, so full of life, curious about every little sound and movement. It was a windy night, so the cat was hyper - alert, but not in the worried kind of way, but rather in a 'taking delight in' kind of way. The cat followed us all the way home, a companion on our journey.

Whatever it was that was making me feel sad still remained, but my heart was much lighter. I had been talking to God throughout the day, asking why I was so sad. I didn't get a clear answer (hmmm, maybe an answer I'm not ready to look at yet), but I got what I needed: a companion on the journey. Actually, two companions on my journey. I never would have gone on such a lengthy walk at night without David by my side. If I hadn't gone for such a long walk, I would not have met my little gray friend.

We can be like that gray cat for one another. You never know of the people you might casually encounter, who are in need of a companion on their journey. It might be a smile you give, a "How are you?", holding the door open for someone, letting someone out of the parking lot into the long line of cars at a stop light." You matter in the lives of other people, even strangers. God inspires us to do these things. Oh, Lord, open our eyes, open our ears, open our hearts to act upon the inspirations you send to us.

There is no pressure. I have to mention this because if I were reading the prayer I wrote above, I would feel pressured. I would feel pressured to listen really hard to God. I would be hyper-alert just like the gray cat, with the exception that the cat had delight, but my hyper-alert would be one of worry that I'm failing to see and do everything that God wants me to. If I fail to act on inspiration to help someone, fail to hear it or see it, our Lord does not give up. He will send someone else to that person in need. He will find a way, even when there seems to be no way. When God sets something into motion: "it will not return unto me void." (Isaiah 55:11). He is God, He will bring about what needs to be accomplished. No worries.

Thank you, Lord, for everyone You sent to be with me on my journey : the sadness that brought me on a walk, for David walking with me, the cat bringing me joy, Uncle Ted who inspired my Aunt Kathy, who inspired me to not be afraid to talk to others because you never know who might need a kind word or gesture. Helping people on their journey helps me on my journey.

Oh, Lord, how awesome are Your works!

I hope this story helps someone on their journey. God bless us all. He loves us so much. We matter to Him, every little thing about us. Talk to Him about everything - He cares about them all because they are part of you - you whom He created. Praise, You, Lord, our God!