Loving Pumpkin

I recently adopted a rescued cat from my local animal shelter. She had been at the shelter for a long time because most people looking for a pet choose one that is more outgoing than the scared, cowering cat I met. In fact, our first meeting left me bleeding from some scratches. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw that she was merely terrified, not mean. And so, I brought her home, named her Pumpkin, and began to love on her. Our first days together were interesting. She shivered and cowered in her homemade cardboard box bed. She refused to leave its safety. And when she met our other cat, she hissed and growled as if her life depended on scaring him away. But each time I would gently pet her soft fur, she purred louder than any cat I’d ever heard. With time, she learned to trust again, and it was a delight to watch her blossom and show her spunky personality. I don’t know what trauma she experienced to make her so scared of people and other animals. All I know is that she desperately needed consistent love and patience to recover. Anytime I’m around her, I think about how we as humans often do the same thing. Sometimes we get hurt and we stop trusting. Sometimes we even find our own ways to hiss and growl at those around us for fear that letting them too close will only lead to more hurt. Whether we’ve experienced betrayal, gossip, abuse, broken promises, rejection, bullying, or something else, it can be so hard to seek new relationships with others. But just like Pumpkin, we can learn to trust again by building healthy relationships with safe peopleespecially fellow Christians. Healthy church families, filled with people being renewed by Jesus, are so important to healing. Jesus takes our trauma seriouslythat’s why we can share our hurts with Him (Psalm 34:18; Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:7). By the power of His Holy Spirit, we can find healing. It might be scary, but I encourage you to reach out and find safe people who will love you, help you put a stop to anything currently hurting you, and patiently walk with you as you bring every hurt to Jesus so He can begin to heal you. Jesus, the Great Healer and the One who knows your every hurt, will be with you through it all (Matthew 28:20). Rebecca Morgan Are you in a harmful situation? Who are safe people you can reach out tosuch as counselors, youth leaders, teachers, friends, or healthy members of a church? If it is an emergency or if you are in immediate danger, call 911 or the emergency number for your area. What hurts have you faced in the past? Jesus cares about your every hurt and knows what it is like to live in our broken world (Hebrews 4:14-16; 1 Peter 5:7). Talk to Him about your hurts. If you are not in immediate danger but need someone to talk about hurts you have experienced or are currently experiencing, you can set up an appointment for a one-time complimentary phone consultation with a Christian counselor through the Focus on the Family Counseling Service. In the United States, call 1-855-771-HELP (4357) weekdays 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) to set up an appointment. In Canada, book your appointment by calling 1-800-661-9800 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and ask to speak with the care associate. We need community. We are made to walk alongside other people, especially as Christians (Genesis 2:18; Galatians 6:1-10). As you process your hurts, who are trusted people in your life you can reach out to? Do you know anyone who needs extra love and patience as they work through their hurts? How can you love them like Jesus does? The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12