Some of you may remember an animated film, “An American Tail,” about a family of mice moving from Russia to America after their home has been destroyed by cats. During the sea voyage, the young boy falls overboard and is separated from his family and the movie centers around the adventure of the family eventually reuniting.

There are two songs I remember from the movie. One song has the mice joyously (and naively) singing, “In America There Are No Cats and the Streets Are Paved With Cheese.” Like the mice, sometimes it seems we have a preconceived notion of what the ‘Promised Land’ or what our future is going to look like. As we know, in America there are cats and the streets are not paved with cheese, but with potholes. And in the movie, the mice discover that stereotypes are not always accurate, surely a life lesson for us all.

The other song shows Feivel (the boy) and his sister, Tanya, though separated, both staring at the same moon and singing the same song, “Somewhere Out There.” In this song, they each take strength and comfort in knowing that, though separated, they know they are loved. In some ways this is what intercessory prayer is like. Our prayer may not produce the immediate miracle we want, but others are strengthened and comforted in knowing they are not alone and not forgotten.

Jesus often taught in parables instead of lectures because he knew that sometimes indirect communication is a more effective way for people to receive a lesson. Whether it is in a parable, a song, a movie, a book, or another form completely, God continues to reach us and remind us of who God is, who we are, and how we are related to God and to one another. May we have ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to receive God’s messages. God Bless, Donn