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 've
always been a cat lover and felt that I had a way with animals,
but I met a challenge in Jay-Jay and Felix. They were a gift
from my daughter-in-law Toni. She had started feeding their
mother, a feral cat that had probably never been domesticated,
shortly before she succumbed to the perils of street life.
The two kittens were left with only a daily handout and Toni's
loving voice to count on. With some coaxing, little by little
they began to trust humans, that their words would be soft
and their touches gentle. In time the kittens decided that
life inside a house posed fewer dangers than life on the street.
Felix and Jay-Jay arrived at
my house nearly a month ago, and quickly hid under beds. Our
relationship began with me lying on the floor and reaching
out to them. Initially my overtures were met with frightened
eyes, but after days of feeding them, putting fresh water
in their bowl, cleaning their litter box, and softly calling
their names, they have begun to trust. They now have a personality
change in the evenings, when the house is quiet. They come
to me and allow me to pet them, and I feel like I have my
reward as they nuzzle up against me, purring. I assure them
over and over that they are safe and I will always care for
them, and it seems they get the message.
In some odd way, they reminded
me of myself—the part of me that holds back and hides
away, always a bit shy and wary of strangers, a little fearful
of trusting anyone, even God, completely. I recently did a
Bible study on the subject of trust, and spent much of my
time reading the Psalms, the book of the Bible that talks
the most about trust. In psalm after psalm, King David expounded
on his many problems, but sooner or later he always hit on
the solution: Trust the Lord; you've got nothing to worry
about, because He will work things out. |
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Trusting God
means relying on Him
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean
not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge
Him, and He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs
3:5-6).
Trusting God means giving our burdens and worries
to Him
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For
My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew
11:28-30).
Trusting the Lord frees us from fear
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind
is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" (Isaiah
26:3).
Trusting God gives us the ultimate security
"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most
High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress;
my God, in Him I will trust'" (Psalm 91:1-2).
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