TGIF
Yesterday was one of those glorious pre-spring days in Southern Oregon where the sun comes out and if you sit in the right place, it will actually warm you.
Smokey was laying on the warm concrete at the end of the driveway and I sat down beside him to watch the world go by for a moment.
A fellow on a bike passed by, then stopped and walked his bike back toward us.
“I think that’s my cat”.
I allowed that it very well could be, that Smokey was a stray that I had fed for weeks, then neutered when he decided to stay.
He was welcome to take him home if Smokey was indeed his pet.
“I don’t want him. He was my girlfriends cat and when she left she couldn’t take him so I stopped feeding him. I don’t want him, I just thought that it was cool that he’s still around.”
I told him that his former girlfriend had made a wise decision and Smokey and I went back to the house.
It then struck me that I live in a “used cat” house.
I have a flock of formerly owned felines.
What that means is that every one of the cats here at one time loved, trusted, and depended on someone else, then were discarded like trash when they were no longer convenient or useful.
That means that they spent time being scared and confused before realizing they had to find a way to survive on their own.
They were betrayed by those they trusted the most.
That’s why it takes so long to earn the trust of a stray cat.
All the cats here now know that they are always welcome and there’s always enough food to go around…but they also remember they believed that was the case once before.
Some of us have had the same experiences in the church that my cats have had.
We loved, trusted, and depended on people who threw us away.
We thought we were part of a family, then the family no longer wanted us.
We’ve spent a long time being hurt and confused, then dealing with the fact that we had to make it on our own.
The betrayal will always sting.
God didn’t do it.
God didn’t betray you and He will deal with those who did.
He understands that just like my cats, you have trust issues now.
He will allow you as much time as you need…but you will always be welcome at the throne room of grace.
You are loved.
You matter.
You will always have a home…He’s gone to prepare a place for you.
Mine will have multiple litter boxes and a catio.
Make your own application…
Thank you. SO good. Amen…. (love your snarky comment to the jerk-lol!)
Thank you, Paige!
Michael sitting on the end of his driveway with a cat – both of them soaking up sun made me smile – thank you
And, yes, by God’s grace His children will survive betrayals in the house – the devil has many weapons at his disposal – like the old chorus sang, “be strong in the Lord, gird your armour on when the enemy assails…”
We need good teachers.. . and we need to pray for each other – oh how we need to do that. 🙏
God keep
Ah, Michael, as much as you love the felines among us, I can never imagine if you had the power of the universe at your disposal, you ever allowing them to be abandoned or abused so harshly in the first place. That to me is the greatest irony of trying to believe any more in an almighty yet supposedly all loving god.
I once wondered why God “allowed” so much misery in the world…. My wake up call was the crucifixion of His Son. Obviously He allowed that… John 3:16
After some time i realized that the garden He created had no sin and no death until we, Adam and Eve, chose to believe a lesser being than their/our Creator and disobeyed Him. Doing that gave the devil dominion over what God had gifted us with… However, although it seems pretty long and drawn out to us mortals, God is resolving our (serious) disobedience. It will lead to a disastrous end to the one who set himself to buck the Creator.
Choose life is my motto. It’s in Christ, not the evil trickster… 🙆