Turn Around

I heard an illustration once
about a cat
having its fur pet
in the wrong direction.
As painful,
uncomfortable and wrong
it felt for the cat,
it hurt the human as well.

In the illustration
the human is God
and we
are the cat.

So what's wrong with this picture?
God is never wrong.
So we,
(as the cat)
need to turn around.

I thought of this
when I was joyfully
washing up breakfast dishes,
I couldn't have been enjoying myself more.
How strange a feeling
of peace and joy.
Strange…
Because at one time,
I hated washing dishes and cleaning.

I thought about the cat,
and realized
I turned around.

It was always right
for me to be helpful
and to serve others
but it only felt right
when I turned around.

I realized my life
is the story of me
at many stages of
turn around.
And my litmus test
(of peace and joy)
is God's grace to me.
When I feel wrong and unsettled
I'm pointed in a direction
that's not God's best for me.