A lesson in trust from Kayla...

We have two sugar gliders in our family. Kazoo--who we purchased at a flea market (not recommended)--and Kayla--who we discovered through a rescue organization called Hope for Gliders.

Because we raised Kazoo from a baby, he instinctually trusts us; however, Kayla--who was brought to Hope for Gliders through an animal seizure by the police--didn't trust humans at all. It took a lot of time working with her to get her to not bite us and any movement she doesn't understand still earns us a set of tiny little teeth sunk into our fingers.

It has been an interesting contrast to me to watch Kazoo--who will glide to me from across the room if I extend my hand and snuggles me rubbing his head into my neck--with Kayla who holds back, never glides, and is incredibly cautious.

There is no reason for her to be afraid of me. After all, I have only done good for her...given her treats, let her explore/play, rubbed her belly...but she misses out on a lot of what Kazoo receives simply because she doesn't fully trust me.

And so I began thinking, how many times is God's relationship with us a lot like my relationship with Kayla? After all, I know a lot of people who don't trust God. (Many times that "lot of people" includes me.) Are we attributing things to Him that aren't even His? Like all of the rotten stuff on the evening news...(His fault for not intervening?)...and for every bad thing that has happened to us personally...and for all of the times we are afraid we aren't worthy of love? (There is so much "sinners in the hands of an angry God" dogma permeating Protestant thinking in the US.) Doesn't God sometimes get attributed with things that haven't even happened? Bad stuff that "could" happen that we unintentionally anticipate?

The Bible uses phrases like...."the Lord is good." "God is love." "In Him there is no darkness at all." Yet sometimes we look at the stuff all around us and doubt that. After all, there is true evil in the world. What if like Kayla, we attribute the evil to the one trying to do good for us. To the one who loves us?

Spiritually, I think it is much better to be Kazoo. After all it looks like so much fun to glide with arms stretched out. Not an easy transition...trusting God to love us and letting go of fear...but definitely one worth pursuit.