A few weeks back I found myself planning a very tight couple of days as I headed to David’s Tent at the end of last month. For those that don’t know, David’s Tent is the slice of heaven that we get to encounter every August Bank Holiday weekend (bar the odd plandemic that is) for 72 hours of nonstop worship - in glorious West Sussex. So there I was all set to do several key things before I packed to make my way down there on the Tuesday afternoon.

Time was of essence and I really did not need anything to go wrong. So imagine my slight distress when my brother knocks as my front door the day before I am due to leave to spend this week at DT and he informs me that he has had a break up with his girlfriend and so she shall not be able to look after my cat Bella while I’m at DT! And I’m like whaaaaatttt???! Nonononononooooo. That’s just not feasible Ajay (that’s his name) cause I just can’t leave Bella with anyone else!! Sock horror. And if Claire can’t look after Bella then I’m just not going to be able to go anywhere. And I’m going to let so many people down. Panic panic. Please Aj have mercy on me!!

My brother graciously relents to all my begging and says fine - she’ll have to stay with you then. And so she does. Claire comes over about an hour later and she is so distressed. Any chance of packing or getting through my vital list of things to do completely goes out of the window and I just sit with her as she grieves about my brother. And as inconvenient as it all is, I am just so grateful that she is still going to be able to look after Bella that the least I can do is sit and comfort her.

The beautiful thing is that as we are talking, I share with Claire that she basically needs Jesus. That even if she reconciles things with my brother life will never be truly free and fulfilling until she surrenders her heart to the Lord. And so amazingly she does. She accepts Jesus’ beautiful gift of eternal life and invites Him into her heart. We spend the next few hours talking about a fresh start for her, praying together and just having a real little heavenly lovefest.

That evening as I sit on my bed in utter awe of the way Jesus comforted Claire and brought her healing and eternal life I am weeping with joy. My little kitty cat Bella is with me. And suddenly I am so moved by the realisation that Jesus used a cat to bring Claire into His love. All along He knew that it would be so important for Claire to look after Bella and that this would open the door to her actually inviting Him into her heart and starting a relationship with Jesus. That blows my mind. Through my tears and my awe I stroke my beautiful Bella and tell her that she is a minister of reconciliation and that she has just won her first soul for Jesus. Wow. i think that’s actually so crazy exciting and I love it.

Sooooooo basically, if Jesus can used a cat to bring someone into the kingdom surely He can use anyone?

So many people shrink back from evangelising or being available for the Lord to use them - they disqualify themselves for all kinds of reasons and they believe the lie of the enemy that they aren’t bold enough, or spiritual enough or biblically illiterate enough. Or a gazillion other reasons. When the bottom line is that none of that matters. All the Lord is looking for is availability. Obedience. He will cause us to be the catalyst for someone’s eternal salvation if we are simply willing to stop our plans and pause our to do lists and just let Him use us. If we are willing to be ready messengers of the ONLY one true message that this world truly needs.

Colossians 1:23 (MSG) You stay grounded and steady in that bond of trust, constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted. There is no other Message—just this one. Every creature under heaven gets this same Message. I, INSERT YOUR OWN NAME am a messenger of this Message.

Like I said peeps…if He can use a cat... x