I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:15-20)

This morning, Ginny, our new 10 week old kitten, snuck out of the house while Hugh and Noodle were coming in from their morning walk.  Ginny is still quite tiny and very very quick.  The allure of the outside has mesmerized her and in the last week we’ve had to chase her now three times to get her back in the house.  Previously she only got as far of the neighbours yard when we caught up with her and took her purring and delighted with herself back into the house.  She loved her adventure, but was just as happy to be indoors with her toys and available humans to scratch her belly.

This morning was a little different though, because Hugh and Noodle didn’t really notice Ginny escaping into the wilds of our front yard, and it was only after a bit of searching through the house and kneeling on my bad knees looking under furniture that I realized she must’ve gotten out.  In a bit of a panic, and still in my jammies, I circled the house several times looking for her and calling her.

Much to my surprise, I found her.  In the tree in the front yard.  High enough up that I couldn’t reach her.  She wasn’t happy to be up in the tree, and it was pretty quickly clear that climbing ‘up’ the tree for her was no problem, but climbing ‘down’ the tree was a skill she was not yet brave enough to try.

Hugh fetched the extension ladder, and made it only part-way up to Ginny when he got a little spooked by how rickety it was, and Ginny, now mewing in distress, climbed up even higher.  Finally one of our neighbours came over from across the street; this is a neighbour that we barely know except to nod to.  He has two little kids, and a busy life that its very different from ours.  He nimbly climbed up the tree, with gloves on because he’s allergic to cats, and extricated a tiny, mewing and terrified Ginny out of the tree, handed her to Hugh, who then handed her to me.  Hugh says that the next time this happens we’re calling the fire department.

I took Ginny back into the house crying with relief.  Ginny curled up in my arms, purring loudly, clearly happy to be home after her ordeal.  She’s curled up on the couch with Noodle, sound asleep, right now as I write this.  I think this sucked her dry for energy.  At least for another hour or so.

And the thing is, Ginny knows that she shouldn’t go outside.  Both previous ‘escapes’ brought a scolding and a confinement to quarters.  But the allure of ‘freedom’ and adventure still called her.  This time ‘freedom’ and adventure terrified her.  But I’m not sure that it terrified her enough to deter her from trying for the front door again.  The next time though, she will be wearing air tags so that we can find her more readily!  She also has an appointment this week to get her first shots and a microchip.  So we can find her.  Because I’m not sure that she’s easily deterred from a life of escape and freedom.  But we, as her parents, will still go after the one who is lost.

And all I can say is: “Same, Ginny, same”.

And I think Paul is basically saying “Same, Ginny, same”.  “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good”. 

Ginny, even as a kitten, knows that indoors is good – its safe.  It has food.  It has humans who give belly rubs and snuggles.  It has jingly balls and a dog-sibling that loves to play.  But Ginny sees the outside and see that this looks even better.  Bigger.  Squirrels and birds.  Until she gets outside and finds out how dangerous and noisy and scary it is.

And we all rail against systems and structures that are designed to keep us safe, to make us feel loved and wanted, that feed us emotionally, physically and spiritually, because, well…..sometimes it appears that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence.  Sometimes it looks like life is more fun, easier and more exciting when there aren’t pesky instructions like “the last shall be first”, or that we need to “love one another”.

Until we get out into the wilderness, right.  Until we climb that tree that looks so fun until we realize that we can’t get down on our own steam.  Until we have neighbours with gloves to protect them, and a ladder to reach us in our misery to bring us down into the arms of our loving Parent.

“For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do”.  Same, Paul. Same.

Here, my Bethel friends, let me help you out of that scary tree.  Its safe in this House – in the arms of your Parent.

Blessings today and Remember you are Loved.

~Rev. Lynne