"Step Out into The Deep" 💖🌊 "Knowing when to Leave Your Comfort Zone"

A few days ago, I saw a very strange sight while was was out doing some errands. I saw a man on the sidewalk, walking a cat on a leash! At first I thought it was a dog, until I looked again to make sure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. But it indeed was a cat. And it was walking alongside of its owner, just like a little puppy dog!

I have never seen a cat walk alongside its owner like that. And the first thought that came to my mind was, "How on Earth did this man train his cat to walk beside him on a leash like that?"

Cats are usually creatures of habit, who don't like to wander too far from their familiar surroundings. They like to be safe in the comfort of their home turf. And they tend to panic, if something changes the situation, and they are taken out of their comfort zones. Even if it is only for a short time.

More "Cat Walk" Stories:

One time in the past, I decided to take my cat Marmalade on a walk with me. He liked being outside on his leash. But we usually just sat outside on the front steps, or in the back yard. We didn't go too far from the home turf.

Yet one day I thought it would be nice to give him a little change of scenery, and tried to take him for a walk around the neighbourhood. I strapped on his leash, and carried him to the edge of the driveway. But as soon as I started to walk with him on the road, he started to panic and squirmed in my arms to be released. He even tried to run back towards the house, once I put him down on the ground.

He was afraid of the unknown. Even though I was there with him all along. Gently talking to him, and letting him know that everything would be okay. And that I would be there to protect him.

We did manage to go for a short walk, but I had to carry him most of the way. Putting him down once in a while to explore the new surroundings, and get used to being away from his comfort zone, at least for a little while. That was the last time I tried to take him for a walk. I just didn't want to frighten him again.

My other cat, Pepper didn't like being on a leash at all. I tried a few times to take her outside on a leash, but she never did like the feel of the strap underneath her belly. So I eventually gave up trying to take her outside that way.

She was a house cat most of her life, and preferred to be indoors most of the time. Though there were times when I took her outside with me in her large cage. She didn't seem to mind, and felt comfortable and safe.

It was only during her final few months with me that I felt led to let her explore the backyard more freely, under my close supervision of course. So I let her out of the cage, and gave her more freedom to explore the garden. She never once tried to wander away from me. She was comfortable, as long as I was outside with her.

When we moved back to Thunder Bay, it took Pepper a while to get used to the new environment and new people. She was very attached to my Uncle Tony, so the move was really difficult for her to adjust too. She really didn't like leaving the home that she was familiar with for 19 years. And I found the transition difficult myself. Though for other reasons. It was like I was moving backwards in life, instead of moving forward. But that's another story.

Stepping Out In Faith:

When I decided to move to Winnipeg in 2003, I was being prompted by God to take a step of faith. I decided to make the move without really having a plan on where I would stay, or what I would be doing. I didn't have a job lined up at the time. I only knew that He was leading me to try something new, and that I had outgrown my situation here in Thunder Bay. I knew that it was time to leave my comfort zone. There were, and still are, no jobs here in this small town where I live.

I packed up my bags, and drove to Winnipeg by myself in my small blue car. It is a ten hour drive, and I made it there in two days. At first I stayed a few days at my friend's mom's house. But it was only temporary, and she didn't want me to stay there for longer than a week. So I had nowhere else to go, and I started to call relatives on my mom's side who I didn't see in many years. Ever since I was a teenager.

I thought the reception would've been better, and that someone would take me in. But it wasn't good at all. None of them wanted to take me in. Some even got mad a me, and tried to send me back to Thunder Bay immediately.

I was very upset, and wondered why God even told me to move out there, if nobody even wanted me around. Then a miracle happened, and my Uncle Tony took me in. He gave me a second chance in life, and I worked in many schools there, and went to university to pursue a degree in teaching. He is like a second dad to me. And I lived there for over 20 years, and everything was fine. Until the covid pandemic happened, and I couldn't find a teaching job after graduation. I was still working as a tutor at the time, so that was bringing in some income. Though not enough to live on.

My uncle decided to sell the house that we were staying in, and he moved into a senior's apartment. The house used to belong to my grandmother, when she was still alive. So once again I had no choice but to pack my bags, and move back to Thunder Bay to live with my elderly parents. If I didn't do that, I would be homeless.

I often wonder why life sometimes comes full circle at times. We work hard, and go out trying to build a life somewhere else, and then end up back where we started. With nothing much to show for it either. Except the memories, and the experience of course. And knowing that we did our best to serve the people whom we encountered, and we really did make a difference in their lives somehow.

The Parable of the Sparrow and the Bell: 🪺🕊️🌿💕💧

Trusting in God, Even when Life Doesn't Make Any Sense:

I'm still a work in progress, and right now I'm still not sure which direction in life God wants me to take. But I'm going to just take each day at a time, and see where it all leads me. If God wants me to step out into the deep, and try something new then I will. I just want Him to go before me, direct my steps, and open up the doors that I must walk through.

Fear of the unknown is something that can really hold us back. Both cats and humans are creatures of habit. Both don't like change. And both like to feel safe and comfortable.

Fear of the unknown. The fear of failure. The fear of being rejected again. The fear of not measuring up. The fear of not having our basic needs met. These are all things that I still seem to struggle with daily. But maybe my being transparent, and human, and sharing these personal struggles here, might help other people who are experiencing similar things.

Know that you are not alone in your struggles. God is with you, holding your hand through it all. And you have sisters and brothers in Christ who truly do care, and understand what you are going through. Having gone through similar things themselves. Though every journey is different. We can all relate to these ongoing problems common to mankind.

Life in this world isn't easy, and so many things can throw a wrench into our plans. We plan for tomorrow, even though tomorrow might not even come. Yet despite it all, we must continue to lean on God for support, and trust that He will continue to guide our path. His eyes are always watching over us, He protects us from all hidden danger, and He is providing for all of our needs.

All we must do is continue to trust Him. We must continue to walk alongside Him, even when life doesn't seem to make any sense. God will make a way where there seems to be no way. And Jesus is the only Way, the Truth, and the Life.