Feral Hearts

One of my morning habits is to feed the feral cats after posting the blog and the sun is up enough to see. If I continue to work after first light, I can see two or three of them sitting on the porch swing staring in the hall window across from my office. Their intent glare seems to ask why I am in here when their food is out there. Feral cats are not the friendliest cats but at this point they have become comfortably tolerant of us and do not scatter with the wind every time we step out the front door anymore. They do still get uncomfortable with too much attention from us or someone new being around.

Mornings are a different story altogether. Just turning the lock on the front door brings the sound of thuds as those on the swing jump down and you hear the thundering of velvety paws dashing to the door. The glass storm door becomes a tall picture frame of feline faces and paws as they stand up against it in anticipation. The huddled mass of whiskers and paws makes getting out the door difficult with seven sets of four legs and tails winding between your legs. Once the food is in their bowl, they could not care about you less!

Yesterday, I had another holy tap on the shoulder as I looked at them through the storm door. There they were, lined up shoulder to shoulder impatient for their meal, couldn’t get there fast enough for them yet as soon as their demands were met, they turned their backs on me – other than the occasional sideways glance to make sure I wasn’t getting too close. 

Here’s where the holy tap came in. Too many of us are just like those feral cats when it comes to our impatient demands from God. Oh, we line up to kneel with bowed heads when we have a hunger we want quenched, a need filled, or a prayer answered but the moment we are satisfied we go back to status quo and get about our business until the next time we feel the equivalent of a grumbling stomach and line up all over again. Many even keep that wary eye on God, making sure He doesn’t get too close in our business. We are no better than wild feral animals tolerating our benefactor when it suits us and keeping a safe distance when it isn’t urgent.

Just like we continue to feed the cats because we just cannot bear to see them hungry, God continues to meet our needs. He knows us and our ways far better than we know the habits of those cats. We named them for conversation sake but God knew our names before He created us in our mother’s wombs. It always tickles us to see them standing against the glass door, faces uplifted and watching for us. I imagine God likes the sight of His children waiting to be with Him, too. It makes my heart sad to think of the times I waited for my provisions and turned back to my feral ways.

 
Father, forgive us. We desire to meet with you each morning in adoration and an attitude of gratitude. Weed out the feral, natural instincts in us so that we may have a closer, loving relationship with You. Take us outside our comfort zone and draw us nearer to You. Amen