…oh, not literally. Not like she’s crawled under our stove and slathered her backside in grease or anything. But, she is sticky, meaning, wherever we are, she is. She sticks with us.

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Meet Shadow.

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When I’m working in my office at home, Shadow’s sitting on my desk (often sitting on my router as if it were a heating pad!) or trying desperately to climb into my lap or walk across my keyboard. When Sherry sits in her favorite chair in the family room at the end of the day, the blanket in Sherry’s lap becomes Shadow’s comfy place for the evening. This means that anything Sherry needs in the evening, I have to fetch, because we certainly don’t want to disturb the cat while she’s sleeping! Spoiled? Absolutely! (Shadow, I mean. Not Sherry.)

While I enjoy all kinds of pets, there is something I find very comforting about Shadow’s gentle presence with us, wherever we are. And in those rare moments when she goes AWOL, we have a sense of unease and concern until we find her, generally trapped in a room somewhere with the door closed.

Her constant presence is reassuring.  

OK, you might think this is a bit of a stretch, but I can’t help think that the Holy Spirit is a lot like Shadow—always present, comforting, gentle.

Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Corinthians 3:16)

…God’s Spirit dwells in our midst…

There is something especially comforting knowing that God is always with us. We may not realize it, because, unlike Shadow, we can’t see the Holy Spirit in our midst. But, through the Holy Spirit, God is ever-present, comforting, empowering us. And when we are struggling, when we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit is there to intercede for us:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.  (Romans 8:26)

When you have moments of concern, sadness, or extreme burdens, know that there is a gentle presence right there with you. Always. Because God is sticky. Even stickier than Shadow.

Peace,

Pastor Tenny