13th April 2026

She was just a small thing, all black with long fur. It was minus temperatures and the snow covered the ground. I called her, but she would run away and I would not see her again until the next day. I put out food and water each day, but she would not come near me. This went on for months, but I remained patient and vigilant, providing her with her needs, even a warm place in a shed with a bed. She was still determined not to trust me.

This is the feeling I get from the header scripture. God sees us struggling to survive, and he calls to us, but we will not come near to him or trust his generous nature. He provides our needs each day, and waits patiently for us to trust him, to accept those hands held out to us. We see right past all he has done for us, and all that he continues to do. We think we provide for ourselves and so we continue on the same path, with the same results.

Some of us come quickly because we recognise our desperate need, but some of us take a lifetime to respond. Jesus is patient, so much more patient than I, but I hope to someday learn this patience from him. The prize is so important to Jesus, his value of us is shown by what he has sacrificed for us. He cared more for us than his own physical life. Have you given up on someone coming to Jesus, do you think this person will never heed his call? We may have given up, but Jesus never does.

‘Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their full inclusion bring!’ (Romans 11:11-12).

You see, God has great plans that include all mankind. We are all included in these plans, and God is persistent and patient with us all.

It has been over a year now and that little black cat is still very suspicious. I can now call her to me and even give her a quick pet, but the trust thing is still a work in progress. Jesus does not expect us to be perfect at our call; he is slowly working with us one step at a time. How kind and merciful he is to slowly make those changes within us. From the very beginning he has said to me: ‘”My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’ (2 Corinthians 12:9). 

Jesus calls us and patiently waits for us to come, and meanwhile he provides for us what we need for each moment of our life, Christ allows his power to rest on us and in us as we move forward into our relationship with him. I need that support, I need that patience, I need Jesus in my life. As I have grown to trust him more and more, I trust that he will also patiently work on those I have been praying for year after year until they release that mistrust and come to him.

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