Stray Love
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:12-13 (NIV)
Most of us are tender hearted when it comes to animals. That is why we feed corn to the deer and table scraps to our nocturnal buddies. I can get all choked up when I see homeless pets trying to survive. In fact, they pull my heart strings more than people because they have no voice. Mabel Ninan (All God’s Creatures) shares a great story on this topic.
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Our family vacation in Mexico was packed with outdoor activities. Exhausted, we decided to take a break one day and relax in our hotel room. I settled down in the patio chair with a book, enjoying the ocean breeze and warm sunlight. A loud meow interrupted my deep reading. An orange tabby stood about six or seven feet in front of me. I closed my book slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements. “Hey kitty, kitty!” I whispered. She meowed again and walked around my chair, surveying the area but not coming close.
Curious about the activity outside, my son turned off the TV in the room an joined me on the patio, his eyes fixed on the feline. She walked up to him and rubbed herself against his leg. Smiling ear to ear, Ryan stroked her head and back. While he bonded with the cat, I went inside our room to fetch our lunch leftovers. Our new friend gobbled up the food in a few minutes. I expected her to stay a little longer and enjoy our attention but as soon as her hunger was satisfied, she walked away. We called, but she wouldn’t come back to us.
That day, God taught me an important lesson about love. Sometimes, I want to love people my way and expect them to also receive love my way. I can be blind to their special circumstances, unaware of how they need to be loved. The cat came to us because she was hungry. She needed food more than cuddles. Just as God used me to provide for her, He can use me also to care for His people. I can show people love by putting aside my selfish expectations and focusing on meeting their wants and needs.
Heavenly Father, thank You for giving us tender hearts! Help us to offer love and care in the way others need it. Remove our selfish nature. AMEN.