TGIF

I used to think Mommacat was a mean little cat…aged and cranky with no use for either people or other pets.

When I would feed her she would not respond other than to wolf down her meal whilst spitting and hissing at my other cats if they came too near.

Her body is wracked with arthritis such that if you pet her in the wrong spot she’ll viciously rip holes in your hand because of the pain.

It was not worth trying to pick your spot.

She kept away from the other cats, always wanting solitude and enforcing solitude by any means necessary.

She was a rather unpleasant beast…or so I believed.

She was hiding under my desk one day and I looked at her and began to think about this old cats life.

She was first adopted by a kind soul for whom life was always sadly difficult.

Things were never easy for them as they moved often and and rarely had a stable home for any length of time.

She lived with her owner for months in the back of a car when they found themselves homeless.

They certainly bonded deeply during those trials…I’m sure it seemed like all they had was each other.

Then, her owner tragically passed away…and she was brought here.

As I looked at her under the desk….old, lonely, and in pain…I realized I’d misjudged this cat.

I motioned for her to jump on my lap, but jumping was not possible for her…so I got on the floor.

She couldn’t come to me, I had to go to her.

I spoke to her softly and patted her head…and suddenly it sounded like someone had started a small engine under my desk.

She purred and she purred loudly…a purring full of pain and love and frustration and loss, but unmistakably a purring full of joy as well.

I started being careful to take time for her everyday and she rarely leaves my room now.

She’s found a way to climb up on the bed and she prefers to purr us both to sleep laying on my head.

She is a rather happy, occasionally cranky old cat these days…

All this, of course brings me to Jesus.

Some of us have been through the ringer and seem to be unpleasant beasts ourselves sometimes.

We get tired…life is hard.

We can’t seem to reach heaven anymore and it hurts too much to try.

We isolate ourselves lest someone or something break again what is already broken.

That’s when Jesus gets on the floor.

We can’t get to Him, but He comes to us.

He comes not with anger or contempt, but in love.

He touches us carefully to heal us in all those places where it hurts.

We can pour out all our pain and doubt and frustration and loss while He brings joy in its place.

Don’t try to jump in His lap, you’ll sprain something.

Let him come to you…He’s not ashamed to get on the floor with you.

Make your own application…