It was dark when I spotted it. Those two little gleaming eyes reflecting the light from my headlights. I slowed down and moved the car toward the side of the road. I expected to see a possum or raccoon looking back at me, but it was much smaller, a squirrel, perhaps? Finally, my brain put all the pieces together; it was a tiny kitten on the side of the road.
Our cat of 15 years passed a few months ago, and I am still not over it. “Blossom,” as we called her, helped raise our boys and was a constant companion. We still have not “replaced” her, but maybe that night, God would force us to. I slowed the car, but before we could come close, the cat jumped into the bushes of the overgrown ditch, completely lost from view. My son jumped out, and we made some effort to find her, but it was too dark, too overgrown, and too wet to find it.
I left with mixed emotions. In some ways, I wanted to avoid dealing with a new cat, but as the storms, wind and heavy rain came in, I could not help but wonder about that cat. It instinctively sought to protect itself by running away, but in doing so, it gave up an incredibly different life. It could have been warm and safe in our home, full of good food, indoor plumbing (at least an indoor litter box), and all the loving and snuggling a cat could stand or ever dream of receiving. Instead, it ran away into darkness.
I bet you know somebody who did not realize what they gave up by running away from the light and into the darkness. Maybe a son or daughter, a spouse or friend, perhaps even yourself. John 3:19 says, “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” We often focus on the first part, “people loved the darkness,” but notice the second part: some people DO come to the light. While we grieve those who choose the darkness, our motivation should be to love like Jesus, whether they choose the dark or the light.
One way to be the light is by giving generously to your church or Gospel-advancing ministries. At the Foundation, we can help you give through non-cash assets, such as stocks or real estate. We did eventually get a new cat; a few months later, my wife rescued a cat that appeared in a barn on her sister’s farm. Our new orange cat, Tony, was found in darkness and is now living his best life in the warmth of the light.