TGIF
“If you feed them, you’ll never get rid of them.”
Strays.
Every day, sometimes more than once a day, we put out food for the strays.
We “know” some of them now, and watch for them.
The same food that is served the proper feline residents of the home is set out for the strays.
They are welcome to come inside and eat if they choose.
Indeed, they are welcome to become part of the family if they should ever so desire.
In fact, we’d prefer they did.
It’s a harsh world out there on your own.
We’ve been doing this for decades, but now and again someone will think it wise to admonish us…
“If you feed them, you’ll never get rid of them.”
This assumes they would cease to exist if I joined in depriving them of food and shelter.
Maybe they would just disappear.
What is missed in that concern is that most of these strays came from somewhere.
They had a home and were either mistreated or abandoned and left to fend for themselves.
They had a home.
Then they didn’t.
It is difficult to get them to live inside…they have learned the hard way not to trust the transient affections of those who live in the house.
It’s easier to be a stray than risk abuse and abandonment again.
Still, I’m faithful to put out the food and offer a home.
My heart is that they find a home here.
I know some people who feel the same way about the church as the strays do about our house.
They had a home.
Then they didn’t.
It’s safer to stay outside than to risk coming in.
People wish they would disappear too.
I understand this.
I’ve been a stray myself.
“If you feed them, you’ll never get rid of them.”
That’s the point…and I think Jesus made it first.
Make your own application…
Wow….. Home Run….. Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Amen.
Thank you, my faithful friend. 🙂
My grandmother was a women with a great heart of faith and a very simple mind. Very simple. She used to have stray cats that would come around her place and she would feed them. Then she would complain about the cats continuing to come around and she didn’t know why they kept bothering her. Although explained to her, the same cycle would repeat.
I don’t how to spin this one into a “Make Your Own Application”. But whenever Michael talks about the feeding of the strays, it always brings this silly little story to mind and brings a smile in remembrance.
Kevin H,
I inherited the feeding of the strays from my grandma and my mom.
Grandma would complain about all the critters too…then get up at 5 the next morning to feed them while the coffee was percolating.
The stories of your grandmothers bring to mind that there is a difference between be thoughtful and being graceful. When I show love for someone, it tends to be an active thought of how I want to display my love. The inability to connect ones own kindness to the presence of some pesty friends would seem to be a character of someone who is full of grace.
dswoager,
You may be on to something there…
Yeah, this.
I appreciate your perspective and your understanding….which seems to only come from those who’ve been strays themselves.
It’s not about a “victim mentality” or fighting against Christianity —
It’s about being so terribly wounded that you don’t even trust what’s in the dish.
Disillusioned,
I understand…and I’ll keep setting out some “food” and offering cyber shelter as long as I’m around.
Posts like this keep me, one of your “feral friends” looking forward to TGIF every Friday.
Thank you, Anne…I’m glad you still come and visit. 🙂
poor creatures – especially in winter – is there a catch, neuter and release program in the area? this is one area of progress that is a good thing in my mind…
i do have a neighbor, a cat lover – has two house cats – who adopts feral neutered cats and then turns them loose up here to do their thing – kill rodents – until the owls and coyotes do their thing… not sure how i feel about that and not sure how to apply the principle to us humans who are ‘feral’ 🙂
Beautiful, Michael, and completely understood as I am a stray, too.
Very touched here.
What an amazing gift you have with words.
It is indeed a God thing…
Em,
I think your insights are just delightful.
You inspire me.
Surfer51, Linnea… thank you.
Em is one of the gifts God gave us …keeps me grounded in truth.
Disillusioned and Michael, you and all who post here delight me with much to think about – and pray about – i appreciate the patience shown this old sidewalk superintendent… God keep
Good lesson today — Jesus told Peter to feed his sheep/lambs. But Michael – I’m beginning to suspect that you are one of those funny animal hoarders we see on TV.
#18 – when he starts locking them all up for their own good and forgets to feed them and change the litter box, perhaps we can begin to worry, ODM 🙂
my late mother got herself into a problem feeding stray cats when the raccoons took over and they weren’t shy about demanding the food… if the hand that feed them is empty, they’ll just eat the hand, then
We’ll feed ’em all.
My mom lost her beloved Siamese to cancer yesterday…like losing a family member.