Where do we find security? (or the differences between dogs and cats)

On Saturday, we reached our final deadline: the landlord was coming at 11 am to collect the keys to the house. By this point, the difference between dogs and cats was becoming noisily obvious: my dog was just relaxing and getting on with life because I was there and therefore all was well in the world. The poor cat on the other hand kept hiding, traumatised, at the back of the wardrobe, or wandering round the empty house, miaowing loudly and anxiously because there was not a chair or bed anywhere for him to lie down on, and he knew that something "serious" was going on.

I couldn't help thinking that, in my relationship with God, I want to be like the dog: able to trust and be at peace, no matter where I am or what's happening, quite simply because I know that God is there for me.

Wrestling Teddi into the cat carrier probably traumatised him even further, but finally we were on our way - making the last trip to our temporary home.

Once we'd arrived, the canine-feline difference was obvious yet again. Maiki obviously thought she'd arrived in heaven: she's never before been able just to walk out the front door and run around in a big garden. She had an absolute ball exploring the place... and anyone who came to visit made a big fuss of her and told her what a well behaved dog she is!

Teddi, on the other hand, thought he'd arrived in hell. For the first four hours in the new house, he was catatonic, not venturing out of the cat carrier, even though he can barely squish into it. Finally, by mid afternoon, he emerged and ate a little food... but then took refuge under a chair, just sitting still as if he was in shock. Poor boy! I gave him his space, leaving him alone in a small room where I'd put a bed, water bowl and litter box. He finally dared to emerge from his hiding spot at bedtime and came to the room where Maiki and I are sleeping. Now his new "safe place" is on the floor underneath my bed.

Perhaps Teddi is a lot like many of us believers. The big upheavals in life can easily get to us at first... but when we're given a little space and time, we know that we're actually safe and we just need to draw close to our heavenly Father . (Or, in Teddi's case, he drew closer to me.)

As the psalmist wrote, "Lord, you are my hiding place!"