what will you do?

I smiled as Bob licked the back of my hand. Grateful, I reached up and stroked the side of his head.

I’m guessing he wondered why his master was sitting quietly in the dark, eyes closed and moaning. I doubt whether he knew I had a migraine, but he seemed to sense something was wrong.

So he leaned over and gave me a big old lick with that sandpaper tongue of his. Bob is a good friend, even though he’s a cat.

He did what he could and I appreciated it.

Later, after taking a nap (being unconscious is a good thing), I heard him meow outside the bedroom door. When I let Bob in he walked right up to me, rubbed against my leg and virtually begged me to pick him up and give him a hug. I took him up on the offer, and it felt good.

He did what he could and I appreciated it.

I say again, Bob is a good friend, even though he’s a cat. Somehow, someway he sensed I was in pain and came to my aid.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions.”1

Bob could’ve just meowed his sympathies but decided that wasn’t good enough. So he licked me and then offered himself up for a hug. As a cat, there wasn’t much more that he could do, was there? He gave it his best shot.

But people, oh my, people can do much more, can’t they?

We can pray for and with others. We can listen patiently when they need to talk. And we can hug them and hold them tight when they’re at the end of their rope.

So do you know someone who’s in pain? Surely someone comes to mind.

Now, what are you going to do about it?

Bob did what he could, but he’s only a cat. You, on the other hand, have resources cats can only dream about. Compared to them, you have a vast aresenal at your disposal.

So, what are you going to do for the person you know who’s in pain? Maybe, just maybe they’re sitting in the dark, eyes closed and moaning in pain. And there’s nobody there who can help.

What are you going to do?

“Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions.”

1  1 John 3:18