Black Cats & Other Things That Don't Make Sense

by Kelly

I’m realizing more and more everyday that the way God views us, this world, and our culture is a 180 degree shift as to how I've viewed it. I am convinced God either has a sense of humor or He knows He has to speak to me in the simplest of terms for me to understand. For instance, when He taught me this paradoxical concept through my black, ever so sweet, Bagheera kitty (named after the panther on “Jungle Book”).

I’ll admit it. I had some hesitations about adopting her when my mom asked if we’d take her in. All the infamous hype surrounding black cats and the bad luck that heralds them is something I didn’t really want to add to my plate. Not to mention, I already had my sights set on a much more prestigious kitty: A flat-faced, long-haired, well-groomed, Persian kitten who might as well have pooped gold because, GOOD NIGHT, that thing was expensive. It also “meowed” weird. Regardless of my hesitations about this little black ball of fuzz that my mom presented to me after finding her abandoned under a house; I spoke with the husband, and we decided to welcome her into our family. It has been one of the best decisions our family could have made. Not only does she bring my boys and I so much joy, but she is the best cat I’ve ever had. And her price tag? Free. If I would have let my preconceived notion that culture made me believe about “black cats” weigh my decision, our family would have missed out completely on the joy Bagheera brings. Furthermore, we’d be stuck with a weird sounding, expensive, counterfeit.

I could go on and on about Bagheera, and you’d probably get all the warm and fuzzies that I do when I talk about her. However, black cats and superstitions are hardly the point of this message. I’ve come to realize there’s a lot of things about God and what He says that just don’t make sense. Things that I’ve questioned Him on. The world is ripe for aiding our extremely limited human perspectives believe in what we can see, touch, feel, hear, and smell. It tells us that anything outside of those boundaries should be examined closely or ignored completely. The way we think and what we choose to believe are, at the foundation, based off of those tangibles to a certain extent or another. There’s a very real enemy amidst us who would just love for you to keep on relying on “what you’ve heard” or “what you feel” to base your beliefs. But what if I told you the way God operates is completely paradoxical to the way the world tells us we should operate?

This is why it doesn’t make sense that Jesus (God in the flesh) would be born in an animal stable with a manger as His bed. But isn't God a King? And what do we “know” about Kings? They are royal. What does royalty entail? Certainly not a crib made out of a manger. It doesn’t make sense that a King would come to earth to live as a servant. Kings don’t serve others! They are served! And it doesn’t really make sense that the majority of Jews who walked the earth the same time as Jesus didn’t recognize Him as the long awaited, promised Messiah that He was. Hadn’t these people read about Him coming? Weren’t they expecting Him? Didn’t they believe the prophets from long ago? And it seems extra strange that He would die by crucifixion FOR those same people and be risen from the dead three days later. What?! Impossible! Because what we think we know about God and the way he operates...we actually have no idea. His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). We are but sheep in need of a Shepherd.

The fact of the matter is...we’ve been lied to. We’ve believed a counterfeit version of the truth and accepting it has cost us a price. A price that looks like mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Friendships. Joy. Rest. Reconciliation. Lasting happiness. Contentment. Pure satisfaction. Patience. Love. Hope. Time (oh, if I could get back some of the time I lost). Abundance. Life. The list goes on. What has believing the world’s precepts cost you? It has taken some dedicated soul searching, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and submerging myself in the Truth (God’s word) to replace the lies the world has told me and the way it has made me view myself, others, and God in general. The enemy’s persistent ability of unyielding attack to convey a counterfeit version of the truth to a gullible me, a gullible you, a gullible all of us, burdened my steps to abundant life and fogged my perception of God and His grandeur. It still sometimes does.

But then I got tired. Tired of being falsely accused. Tired of being made to feel less than I am. Tired of walking in darkness on the most sunny of days. Tired of being content with counterfeit. Tired of being distracted. And tired of doing things my way. I became tired and ready for real change. I’m praying that you become tired too. That maybe you’re reading this because you’re desperate for change, and you know you were created for more than what you’ve been believing. You’ve got that soul feeling you can’t shake. A weird suspicion that the same God who loves you enough to send His son to die for you (John 3:16) has been relentlessly pursuing you your entire life if you’d only look. The way you’ve been doing things just aren’t working anymore and you don’t know where to run. I’m praying these lies exchanged for the truth below will speak to you like they spoke to me, and you’ll surrender at the foot of the cross. I pray that you’ll ask God to show you what lies you’ve been believing and reach for the belt of truth (Ephesians 6:14) that’s been waiting for you to try on. That through these examples, you’ll see how lopsided our world really is compared to the truths of God’ s word, and that you’ll recognize the things that don’t make much sense are actually the things that make the most sense.

The world says, “Go, go, go”. God says, “Be still...” (Psalm 46:10).

The world says, “You need to worry about this or that”. God says, “Don’t be anxious about anything; instead, pray about everything” (Phillipians 4:6).

The world says, “Your phone needs to be with you at all times”. God says, “Have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3).

The world says, “Your kids are exhausting you. Let other people teach them important lessons”. God says, “Train up a child in the way he should go so when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

The world says, “Rely on yourself and read all the self help books”. God says, “...I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

The world says, “More, more, more, you can’t have enough!”. God says, “Don’t store for yourselves treasure on earth...but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20).

The world says, “Speak your truth”. God says, “Deny yourself…” (Matthew 16:24).

The world says, “You do you. Act on impulse and feeling”. God says, “Take up your cross…” (Matthew 16:24).

The world says, “You’re missing out if you don’t go to that party and do what they do”. God says, “Follow ME” (Matthew 16:24).

The world says, “Being a mom isn’t good enough. You need to go out and be successful and make a name for yourself”. God says, “Care for the flock that I have entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly - not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve me” (1 Peter 5:2).

The world says, “You are insignificant”. God says, “You have been set apart as Holy to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:2).

The world says, “You’ll be ridiculed if you act differently, you won’t fit in”. God says, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18).

The world says, “Conceal the shameful things you’ve done. Nobody wants to hear that!”. God says, “Confess your sins to one another and pray so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).

The world says, “You’re having so much fun living life this way. You’re not missing anything...trust me”. God says, “I came that you may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).

There is a name and a price tag associated with exchanging the things that make sense to the world for the things that don't make sense. The name? Salvation. The price?

FREE.