Leo’s Taco Truck

The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

WHEN KATHY’S COWORKER, SHARON, presented her with a corrugated cardboard cat nook and scratching post in the shape of a food truck, she had to keep from rolling her eyes. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the gift—she did. And it wasn’t that she didn’t love her cat, Leo—she did. It was just that the bright blue, orange, and yellow van-shaped box didn’t exactly blend in with her decor. However, since she and Sharon were both avid fans of tacos and food trucks, Kathy began setting up Leo’s taco truck as soon as she got home. She felt quite proud of herself when she managed to assemble the two-foot-long, eighteen-inch-tall El Gato Fish Taco food truck in less than an hour.

“What in the world is that monstrosity?” her husband, Matt, asked when he came home later that evening.

“Oh come on, it’s kind of . . . cute . . . ish. In a tacky, obnoxious kind of way,” Kathy replied, unable to hold back her own laughter. “Sharon gave it to me—well, to Leo—and I figured I should at least let the cat see it and decide if he likes it.”

However, Leo, who was scared of new furniture—as well as groceries, loud noises, ringing cell phones, and his own shadow—was nowhere to be found.

“Well, I guess Leo isn’t really feeling the food truck vibe today,” Kathy said with a sigh.

That night as Kathy got ready for bed, she tried hard not to think about the week ahead—specifically the doctor’s appointment she had been dreading the past six months. Although her last results had been clear, her body still bore evidence of the cancer that had taken three surgeries and months of radiation to get under control. And while everything was beginning to heal, her mind still struggled with deep wounds and nagging fears. Every pain, every cough, every ache seemed like an assault by an enemy lying in wait, biding his time until he could turn her world upside down again. Kathy’s appointment at the end of the week, which would confirm or deny the presence of cancer cells, felt like both a blessing and a curse. Living in the unknown was torture—but what if knowing was worse? She couldn’t go through that again. Could she?

The next day, as Kathy and Matt were getting ready for work, she was surprised to find Leo perched atop his new food truck.

“Wow! Look at you, all brave on your taco truck.” Kathy stopped to stroke Leo’s head, then left the cat to explore it more. “Have fun. I’ll see you later, Leo.”

Kathy had just gotten into her office building when the sky grew dark. Several minutes later her phoned buzzed with a severe thunderstorm warning. It stormed all day long.

Poor Leo, Kathy thought, knowing how anxious her cat became during storms. Why didn’t I check the weather before I left?

Leo tended to channel his anxiety into destructive behaviors such as shredding curtains, chewing on mini-blinds, or leaving evidence of his stress on the carpet, so Kathy normally put him in a bathroom if the forecast called for storms.

Kathy took a deep breath before entering the house that evening, trying to prepare herself for whatever she would find inside.

There was no sign of Leo. Nor any sign of feline stress. No shredded or chewed-up window treatments, no laundry strewn about, and no messes on the carpet.

“Leo?” Kathy called. “Where are you?”

Kathy started to fear the worst. Can a cat have a heart attack from anxiety?

But before her thoughts could spiral too far down that path, she heard a faint muffled meow. Kathy looked behind the sofa, under the chair, and finally . . . in the taco truck.

There, pressed against the back corner, was Leo.

It took a minute to coax him out, but when she did, Kathy held him and told him what a brave cat he was.

The next day, when Kathy opened the door for the dishwasher repairman, Leo took one look at him and ran straight to his taco truck.

“Looks like you’ve found your safe place,” Kathy observed a few minutes later, kneeling beside the truck to pet her cat through the window opening. Her phone chimed with a reminder of her doctor’s appointment the next day. Kathy inhaled deeply and prayed for peace, as well as a good report. She leaned her head into the taco truck. “Got any room in there for me?”

PAWS & PONDER . . .

When life gets hard, where do you run to? Who or what is your safe place during a storm? How is the name of the Lord a strong tower? In what ways does the name of the Lord keep us safe? Have you found refuge in the person of Jesus? If so, how has that changed your life?

Paws & Pray

Lord, there is no refuge that can compare to you. Jesus, you are the strong tower my soul needs. Help me run to you for peace, comfort, healing, and help. I draw courage from you. And even when I can’t see through the storm clouds, help me to know that you are with me and that I am safe.