Monday Medley: Two Stories, A Poem, And More

Two Stories, plus a
 poem and some thoughts and photos in this longer post

Dear Readers,

I thought it might be a nice idea to go back to posting several short items in one post. Hopefully every reader will find something that speaks to them.

 This week, I am posting a flash fiction piece which was written to encourage folks to think about their eternal destiny. We are living in such troubled times, and I can't shake the feeling that the Lord's return is very near. Please take a moment to ask some very big questions today. My own spiritual journey began when I woke up out of the stupor I was in and began to ask questions like "Is there a God?" And "Where will I go when I die?" There is nothing worse than to go through life in a haze, numbly entertaining and scrolling oneself towards the grave. The enemy of our souls just loves it when we live like this. I pray that we will all take life and eternity a lot more seriously. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. All of our questions are answered in Him. As I like to suggest, read the Book of John, in the New Testament to find out more about Jesus and how He saves. He died to save you too.

The second story is one which has been published before. I found it on my phone the other day, and realized that it is not on the blog. It is a true story about my cat Julius, who is my co-gardener:) (He has appeared in posts about my garden.)

The take-away from this story, is that God truly cares about the small details of our lives. He knows our hearts, and sometimes uses animals to bring comfort.

💕🙏💕

The Leaflet

Mason surprised himself by accepting the piece of paper from the  young woman. It wasn't because she was pretty, or that her eyes seemed to shine in a way that was foreign to him. No. It was because he'd seen another commuter reading the same leaflet, and the bold heading had piqued his interest. The world was going crazy as the title suggested, and something deep inside of him yearned for answers. If nothing else, the leaflet would distract him during his long commute, and perhaps give him further ammunition against the office evangelist, Henry Richardson.

As the train rocked and clacked along though, he found himself fascinated by the contents of the leaflet. It spoke of Bible  prophecies being fulfilled in modern times, and terrifying events on the horizon. Wars and rumours of wars, increased seismic activity, the rise of globalism, and more. It spoke too, of the promised return of Jesus Christ to a world that largely rejected Him, just as Mason always had.

Mason read the tract through twice more before reaching his stop. When he rose, his eyes met those of the girl. Yes, there was definitely something different about her. In fact, she reminded him of someone. The same person he'd made a habit of mocking. It went against the grain, but as Mason neared his office building, he made a decision he would have laughed at a short while before. He entered the building, clutching the well read tract, and headed off in search of Henry.

***

Julius

It was raining the day the little black scrap arrived. The perfect setting for a little drama: a drizzly, grey day and a piteous cat sitting in a puddle.

My Faithie was getting older. We’d rescued her some years before: now the petite black and white cat was in ill health. We weren’t looking for another cat though: my husband prefers tropical fish. The mini panther had actually made a few previous attempts at worming his way to our door, but had been evicted each time. He was jet black with pale green eyes. For my daughter, it was love at first sight. And so began her relentless campaign to keep him. First, with my help, she made a shelter for him. It only made the cat appear more miserable. After much begging, the scrap was allowed onto the verandah. Under no circumstances was he allowed to be inside.

To this day, I cannot explain how he suddenly progressed from roughing it to our bed. Incredibly, he decided to settle down for a nap on DH’s jersey! And he stayed. Forever.

Julius is getting older, but he still loves to catch the odd bird. The little scrap is a self-assured lord of the manor now. Looking back, I can see God at work in this sweet story. I ponder the mysterious and sudden way in which Julius appeared and the miraculous way in which he was allowed to stay. I am reminded that God cares about the small details and comforts of our lives. I didn’t know that Faith was going to die soon. But He did. So he sent Julius to us to ease our sorrow.

Garden Haiku

A simple garden

common veg and hardy blooms

peace pools in the sun

And here is our dog Zac. A very sweet dog who deserves a mention after all the attention and space that cat got. :)

Well, that's all for this week. I pray that you will have a very blessed and Jesus joy filled week.

Please stay awhile and browse the blog for more encouragement.

If you are searching and hoping to find out more about Jesus, you may like to read my testimony. Link

(Just scroll down a little for testimony.)

 

Copyright, (All): pencil in His Hand