As I sat down to work on my article, my family's topic suggestions of toilet paper and pandas were less than helpful; and I thought to myself, "I might as well just write about this cat!" And then I realized, I really should.

     My little, black cat, Darcy, has been my daily shadow these last couple of months. Any time I'm at rest she comes and finds me. When I'm at the kitchen table she curls up on my lap, she perches herself on the couch beside me, even now she's beneath my feet as I type. Sometimes she'll even track me down when I'm in the kitchen or the office, and I'll hear a soft "mew" calling my attention to her for a snuggle. And as I recalled all of this, I heard a whisper in my heart, "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you." (James 4:8)

     God is always here for us, waiting, knocking for our attention (Rev. 3:20, a favorite chapter). God is with us always; we are the ones who fail to draw nearer to God. My fuzzy friend has figured this out so much better than us. When she's near her master she is comforted and protected, she has her needs met and is living in the overflow. In this time filled with questions and not many clear answers, I have a direction. Draw near to God. James 4:8 goes on to instruct us to cleanse our hands and our lives, to get rid of all the negative things of the world that separate us from our purpose and our Heavenly Father.