I keep looking out the window, but he is no longer there. Multiple times a day I walk to the window that looks out onto our front porch, hoping once more to see that familiar face patiently waiting for me to come out. But he’s not there.

For over a year my wife Barbara and I fed a feral cat who visited our front porch, but two weeks ago he stopped showing up. He was there every morning before we left for work and would often be on the porch, waiting for us, when we returned home. Even though I knew the day would come when that cat would no longer be with us, I miss seeing him. Even though we never heard him meow, much less purr, and we could never approach him without him running away, I still keep looking out the window every morning and evening. We even turn on the porch light for him so he knows we’re home.

It seems I miss that cat more that I miss some people who are no longer in my life. What does it say that I would spend more time looking for the return of a stray cat than I would some people returning to church? Is my heart really that big and that small at the same time?

Over the last year I’ve learned that if you have the compassion to wait, the endurance to remain calm and a heart that is willing to listen, even a feral cat can teach you lessons about love, patience and our relationship with God. At least, those are some of the things I learned while feeding a cat that didn’t really want me; it just wanted what I had to offer. In other words, this cat was taught me some interesting things not only about people, but also about my own relationship with God – a God I don’t always want except for the things I think He has to offer. And even though this cat no longer shows up on my porch, I’m finding the lessons continue. Continue Reading