The thing I love the most about my cat Nolan is her courage.   Her courage inspires me to leave behind my definition of safety and heads towards God’s great unknown.

My co-worker Staci found Nolan, as well as her siblings, in some bushes when Nolan was only four weeks old. The poor tiny kittens were hiding way back in the bushes, their mother nowhere in sight. Staci tried to lure all of the kittens out, but my sweet little Nolan was the only one that would leave bushes.   She had around 40 burs stuck in her fur (keep in mind Nolan could fit in the palm of hand so her entire little body was covered in these painful prickly things). Sadly, Staci was not able to reach the other kittens and they would not come out voluntarily. The pound came not to long afterwards and took the kittens away. I pray that all of Nolan’s siblings found good homes.

I always wonder what gave Nolan the courage to leave behind the bushes and why the other kittens stayed. They must of all been so frightened – they were too young to be away from their mother. In their minds the bushes seemed like a place of refuge. But there were painful burs that dug into their skin. And while they thought they were impenetrable in the bushes, animal control was able to break into their safe place and take them away. When Nolan came out of the bushes, Staci pulled the burs from her food, gave her food and water, and placed in her in a loving home.

It may seem silly that the kittens thought they were safe in the bushes, but humans do the same thing on a grander scale. Nolan’s example caused me to reflect on what “safe places” I have constructed. I put “safe places” in quotes because I’ve come to learn through trial and error that safety is an illusion and that God is our only security. For example, I started my first law job in Fall 2009, in the aftermath of the Lehman brothers and housing market crash. Although it was a stressful time, starting work during that period was a great learning experience. For several years before the Class of 2009 law graduates, it was a “guarantee” that if you graduated from a top law school you would land a job at top law firm making a ridiculous amount of money. Of course, you had to agree to be on call to work essentially 24-7, but most people found this sacrifice small in comparison to the “security” of a prestigious job making a great salary. I was lucky to still have a job, but some of my classmates had their job offers revoked or were told they had to wait a year to start work due to the economic downturn. At the law firm, I saw associates and staff members laid off. I quickly learned that there is no such thing as a sure thing.

Relationships are another “safe place” we create, becoming addicted to having a predictable companion and ignoring how this companion is gnawing away at our spirit. I was in a relationship for several years where I tried to convince myself that I was happy, but deep down I was miserable. I was numb to the insults and never ending demands that I did not even realize they covered and cut into my entire being, like the burs that covered little Nolan. At first, it was hard to leave the security of a stable relationship where I had invested so much time and effort (and it took me several months of deliberation and the Holy Spirit tugging at my heart strings, rather than the few seconds that it took Nolan). But the moment I left my metaphorical bushes (i.e. the “safety” of that bad relationship), I felt so incredibly free and my wounds could finally begin to heal. On top of this, I met an amazing guy and we have built a relationship where we look to God for our safety and security.

Maybe you feel God calling you out of your comfort zone and you are resisting His call because you are scared (this has been me several times in my life). Whatever your “safe place” is – a relationship, job, sports performance, physical appearance or membership to a certain group – remember there is no safer or better place to be than in God’s will for your life. So I encourage you to follow Nolan’s lead and step out into the God’s amazing plan for your life.

“God is our safe place and our strength. He is always our help when we are in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 (New Life Version).