My next door neighbor has kittens in her barn, four precious, chubby, fluffy kittens. When my neighbor saw that the mother cat was pregnant, she starting putting out milk and dry cat food each day. The mother cat is feral, that is pseudo-English for “I am wild, and I will bite you.” Each day, she puts out food, then stays and talks with the mother cat while she eats. Last week, the mama cat let her pet her. This week, the mama cat let her pet the kittens. She plans to tame the babies and find them homes where they will be safe and loved. She knows predators will kill them if she doesn’t. When Jesus calls us to love, it looks a little like taming a wild kitten. It takes a willingness to extend yourself. And it will surely cost you time and energy. Jesus wants us to love the wild ones, those everyone else has given up on. We love someone by getting near to them, talking to them, helping them, hanging around. And gradually, very gradually, they just might open up and let us near, near enough to show them the love of Jesus. – Virginia Thompson