It's a great, big scary world out there!

We have a new kitten. Her name is Nala. She is full of so much mischief. Every nook and cranny inside this house has been explored by Nala. One minute she is climbing to the top of the artificial ficus tree. The next minute she is climbing the curtains so that she can play with the cords to the blinds. Last night she discovered the doorstop. She found out that it makes a really neat noise when you hit it. Today she decided to perch herself on top of a lamp.

On top of all these neat things to explore, she has a plethora of toys with which to play. She gets fed on a regular basis, and she even gets to sleep in the bed with us at night. Life inside this house is really good for Nala. She has everything she needs in this house, but she thinks there is more. Every single time that I take LuLu out to potty, she longs to go outdoors. She will watch out the window of the door just pleading to go outside.



When I come back inside, she is always trying to sneak out. I tell her, "Nala, it is a great, big, scary world out there. You just need to stay inside where it is safe."

Yesterday I decided to show her the great, big scary world. I carried her outside. She was utterly terrified. She started trying to climb up me. When I walked back inside, I felt her little heart, and it was pounding. She got a little taste of that world and was very afraid.

But I know our little Nala all too well. It would not take her any time to get over her fear. She is so curious and adventurous. I know that in no time she would be exploring the endless outdoors. I am sure that she would climb the fence and be off to see what she could find. What she doesn't realize is that there are so many things out there that could harm her. There are snakes, wild cats, and mean dogs, just to name a few. Her curiosity could lead her into great danger. So at least until she is a little older, we will keep her in the safety of the house.

Months ago, when I started this unplanned journey, I felt as if I had stepped outside into the great, big, scary world. I had always known my safe world. I had everything I needed in that world to be happy. But unfortunately, I had to step outside of that safe place. I had to step into the scary world. At first I was terrified. I will never survive out here. There are so many dangers and unknowns. What do I do? Whom do I trust?

Then, with time, I become more comfortable with this new world. This is when I have to be really careful. There are many things out there that would offer me happiness. But I must be wise and discerning. There are some things that could give me happiness temporarily, but in reality they are dangerous. Nala might see a snake with which to play. She might find this snake entertaining. But then that same entertaining snake could kill her in a moment's time.

For those of us who are traveling this journey, we just need to be careful. I know we are lonely. I know there are days that are difficult to get through. But we cannot fall into the trap of allowing the things of the world to try to satisfy the emptiness.

When Nala is older and wiser, I will allow her to go outside. She will then know where her home is, and she will be more wise to the dangers. For those of us who are on this unplanned journey, we MUST be wise. We must make good choices. We must seek God and seek Godly friends. There are many really good things out in this new world. We must look for those things. We must surround ourselves with people who will help guide us in the right direction.

Right now I am writing this with my computer in my lap. Little Nala is sleeping soundly on my chest, purring loudly. She is safe, and all is well. If you are traveling the journey with me, don't run away from God, seeking your own adventures in the dangerous world. Crawl up in your Heavenly Father's lap and rest in Him. How do we do this? I think the message paraphrase of Romans 12:2 says it best.

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.