Wild cats and Rhubarb Cobbler

I found that I could predict my grandparents' behavior from an early age.  This came from our travels to Houston, Missouri to see them along with various uncles, aunts and cousins.  Grandma and Grandpa lived on a small farm in the country a few miles from town.  No matter when we arrived, Grandma would have food for us (my favorite was her rhubarb cobbler).  A big glass of fresh milk (that Grandpa milked from one of his cows) would accompany the dessert.  

Cobbler with ice cream is one of the best things there is.

As good as the cobbler was, my favorite thing to do was to play outside.  Grandma had plenty of what they called "barn cats" roaming around.  These cats were not used to being handled and so were pretty difficult to catch.  When you actually accomplished catching one, you could expect LOTS of scratches.

In addition to all the claw marks on my arms, my one allergy as a child was to cats.  It wouldn't be long before I began to sneeze my head off.  You would think that natural consequences would keep me from handling the cats but I was what you would call a slow learner.  

Petting this type of cat is not so much relaxing as it is a contest of will.

This would exasperate my grandma to no end.  I can still hear her saying, "Sammy, why don't you leave them cats ALONE!"  She hated seeing me so miserable - snorting around the house with my eyes watering.  I don't think that she realized that I found the allergic reaction an acceptable trade off for the conquest of actually catching one of her wild cats!

Another thing my grandparents enjoyed was watching religious television.  This usually meant some type of TV evangelist.  My cousins and I did not enjoy this type of programming at all and with nothing on television that interested us, we would find that being outside was a lot more fun.  I remember one time in particular that the channel was turned to something other than religious broadcasting and my cousins were glued to the set.  I wanted to play outside but they wouldn't budge.  I went in to Grandpa and said, "I think the 700 Club is on."  He immediately went in and said, "Why don't we watch this!" while turning the channel.  My cousins soon joined me outside!

As our loved ones become somewhat predictable to us, this may evolve into a basic kind of trust.  As we spend more time with God whether in worship, devotion, Bible study or prayer, we find that it becomes easier to trust in God.  Sometimes when life disappoints us, we might even be angry with God.  But rather than abandoning the faith, we work in out like we would with an old friend.

How does the church help to relate this trust in God?  This Sunday, we'll be looking at trust as we encounter Jesus walking on the water reflected in Matthew 14:22-33.  If you don't yet see God as an old friend, maybe this is a good time to start the habit!

Cobbler picture by Ralph Daily (Flickr: Peach Cobbler) via Wikimedia Commons
Barn cat picture by By Usien via Wikimedia Commons