A little over a year ago, we noticed a black and white cat lurking about our property. We are unable to have an indoor cat because the girls have guinea pigs (it's never a good thing for one pet to eat another), but after seeing the cat for a number of days, we decided that we should feed it.
At first, we put the bowl of cat food at the edge of the yard, very near the soy bean field where the cat hid, but whenever a human would come to deliver the food, the cat ran for cover. It would eventually creep up to eat our offerings, but only long after said human(s) would return to the house (and peer out of a window). Gradually, we moved the bowl closer and closer until we placed it on the step to the back deck. Still, Puss would sneak up to eat, but the mere turning of a door handle would send it running to some hidden place. This went on for months.
At some point, a solid black cat began appearing at Puss's food bowl, also partaking of the nightly kitty repast. This cat was dubbed Pinky because she was wearing a faded pink collar. (I will digress here to tell you that I later discovered that the faded pink collar was in reality a flea collar. In my defense, I only saw her at night and through a window...and it really did look pink!) Pinky, too, was frightened of us, and so now we were feeding two cats that we couldn't even get near, let alone touch.
One evening, as I was on the riding lawn mower (good place to think), I was considering how sad it was that these kitties did not know that we had everything that they needed. We had food and water, places for shelter, and all the affection a kitty could want. Yet they ran from us, did not trust us, were even afraid of us. And all the while we just wanted to love them.
As I pondered these thoughts, my heart was stirred. Ah, doesn't our Heavenly Father long to be all that we'll ever need? And yet we sometimes run from Him, we refuse to trust Him. And all the while He wants to lavish His love on us. I thought of those poignant words of Jesus, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!"
Lord, help me to run to You, to trust You, to hide under Your wings.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust. (Psalm 91:4a)
Love the post Cheryl, thanks for sharing. God gives us so much in times that we unexpect. We are guilty of running from God sometimes and forget how it makes Him feel. By the way, nice to see you and the family at the Drehmer's last night. I was saying to Jodi that I would love to have you and her over for tea sometime. Well, have a great weekend, Barbara
ReplyDeleteThank you, Barbara. And I would LOVE to have tea with you sometime...there's just something so lovely about teatime with friends! Ahhhh....
ReplyDelete