Now, About That Porch Cat…
If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. Isaiah 58:10 (ESV)
This cat does not look too hungry! Porch Cat has been around all summer and made itself at home in our porch chairs. In the warmer days, we left the front door open so that our fur babies could look outside. Porch Cat heckled them and sat right in front of them; the only thing separating them was the glass door.
The cat caught several mice, pigeons and even one of our chickens. Needless to say, the food supply here in Arnot was endless. But the weather is colder now and porch sitting has ended.
Porch Cat makes me think of all those who suffer silently. We are a proud people, and we don’t like asking for help of any kind. It isn’t just the physical pain that keeps us quiet but the emotional and spiritual afflictions as well. We should have it all together, right?
Our self-conversations are not always uplifting. We ridicule and berate ourselves with words like should, would, and could.
When someone asks, “How are you?” our response is usually less than truthful. We shy away from sharing what is really going on. Acting all cool, calm, and collected, we smile even though we may be starving, near exhaustion, and have depleted funds. Perhaps we might hint around that we are suffering but we seldom come right out with it.
Like Porch Cat who caught a big mouse but is hungry now because the rodent got away. The raccoons and skunks hustled it away from the food dish. And well, it has no warm house in which to enter and curl up on a cat bed as the cold wind blows the final leaves from the trees. Droplets of rain run down the windowpanes and there it sits…looking in.
We have voices. Letting others know when we need help or are suffering ought not to be that difficult. Nor can we consider it a chore to feed the hungry and provide for basic needs. This is the time of year when we spend more time reflecting on God’s abundance and His greatness.
Let’s not forget the Porch Cats who suffer in silence. A hug, a smile, a kind word about the love of Jesus Christ followed with a warm cup of hot cocoa, or a coat you haven’t worn in years might be enough to ease their pain.
No, we are not adopting Porch Cat but it does receive some tasty leftovers every night.
Gracious God, thank You for taking care of us. Help us to reach out to the suffering souls with a heart full of gratitude. AMEN.
Photo: Michael Johnston 11/1/25