The Couch Thief

In the midst of the cooler weather, I've set up a temporary office in the living room where the wood stove is.  With no other source of heat in the house, my main office becomes quite chilly this time of year, but instead of running my electric or kerosene heaters in there, I just relocated.  I don't mind.  In fact, I rather enjoy stretching out on the chaise lounge portion of our sofa and working from my laptop.  The wood stove sends out a soothing radiant heat.  Music streams from my Pandora station on the Blue-Ray player.  And the couch provides sufficient room for me and both dogs.  It's a win/win situation. . . well, usually.

This morning, Mitch beat me to the "coveted spot" on the couch.  After eating his breakfast, he stretched out across two pillows on the chaise, tucked his nose under the fleece throw and promptly fell asleep.  This may have had something to do with the fact that Jason has had to work two late nights (getting home at 4:00AM only to wake again at 7:00AM), and we're all exhausted.  When Jason isn't home at night, Mitch stands guard and takes his job very seriously.  Evidently, he needed some rest this morning, and I just didn't have the heart to wake him and make him move.

Instead I stretched out on the opposite side of the couch, phone in hand to do my morning devotions.  (I have a YouVersion app for my daily Bible reading and a Kindle app for my devotional books.  Ain't technology grand?)  Anyway, I hadn't been settled for more than a couple of minutes before 90-lbs. of snuggly dog made his way into my lap, stretched out and fell back to sleep.  I stared at the expanse of empty couch and smiled.  In that single moment, I realized what was more important to Mitch--not the most comfortable spot but the love of his mommy.  And so, we snuggled through my morning devotions.  I read.  He snored.  I prayed.  He snored some more.  All in all, we were both content.  Actually, I should say that all three of us were content.  Tippy was enjoying a pillow on the floor as close to the wood stove as she could get.  I think her old bones and joints really enjoy the warmth.

As I think back on this morning's snuggle time, I'm forced to ask myself a question:  What's more important to me--the comfortable spot or being close to my Master?  Sometimes it's possible to have both, but more often than not, to grow closer to God requires me to step out of my comfort zones.    I have to step away from my own plans and desires.  I have to step away from other means of security.  I have to walk through the fire.  Then and only then can I experience spiritual closeness with my Master.  It's like experiencing spiritual growing pains.  They are a necessary part of the process.  True closeness with God can only be attained through trials, for it is there that we learn to trust Him and depend on Him alone.

Like Mitch, am I willing to leave my state of comfort in order to take a place of greater closeness to my Master?  Are you?  It's certainly a question worth pondering today.