TGIF

She carries herself with the air of a wealthy widow who has seen better days.

It was months before she would lower herself to enter the house to eat, weeks after that before she would let me touch her.

She allows me to pet her now, but she takes no joy in my doing so.

She arrives at the appointed times for her meals and leaves as soon as she has finished.

 

She will not consume the less expensive food I feed the strays, but will sit by the bowl and stare at me until I share what I give Miss Kitty.

She is here to dine only, she is not interested in a relationship…at all.

I dare not name her, lest I offend her by calling her something “common”.

She has never made a sound of any kind.

Still, I care for her because I naturally love cats…and because, whether she likes it or not, she needs me to.

I feed her multiple times a day and allow her to come and go as she pleases, granting her both privacy and dignity.

It could be better for her…if she would allow it.

The weather has grown cold and she could stay inside with us where it’s warm…if she would allow it.

She has beautiful, soft, fur and petting her is soothing to me…and it could be to her…if she would allow it.

Miss Kitty has accepted her presence…she could have a friend…if she would allow it.

She could enjoy a measure of love, comfort, and safety…if she would allow it.

My heart breaks wondering why she won’t allow it.

Someone has been cruel to her.

Maybe multiple someones.

Life has been hard so she has grown hard to survive it.

All I can do is love her to the degree she’ll allow, always offering more, should she decide to receive it.

Need I say that some of us are responding to God like this cat responds to me?

We’ve been hurt, we’ve been disappointed… too many times.

It’s hard to trust anyone, especially God.

We do what we must to survive, but we stopped living a long time ago.

Perhaps it could be better for us, but the risk is too great to allow it.

Still, He longs to care for us, because His nature is love…and whether we like it or not, we need Him to.

His offers still stand…

As I was writing this she was eating on the floor behind me.

I turned to see her sitting by the bowl, staring up at me.

I leaned over to pet her head…and she extended one paw to me as a dog does when offering to “shake”…or as a queen would offer a gloved hand to be kissed.

I held her paw for a second and gently petted her again.

She opened her mouth and a slight sound came out…then she silently walked out the door.

I feel great joy.

Make your own application…