Sometimes love takes time.
For months now our daughter Rishana has been feeding a cat which appeared at her door one day. She named him Nesbit and has been slowly gaining his trust. It started with just a “Hello” and talking to him everyday. Eventually he took some food from her, let her get a little closer, and finally let her pet him and sit by him. But, no matter what she tried, the cat refused to come inside.
Something changed last night. Maybe it was the cold or something else, but Nesbit finally came in for 5 minutes. A step in the right direction. He even climbed on her lap and got a welcome home kiss from Rishana’s other cat, Robin.
Rishana says people are a lot like Nesbit. Sometimes it takes time for them to accept your love. You start by saying “Hi”, then meet whatever needs they have, whether food, shelter, or just a listening ear. After time they may learn to trust you enough to share a little bit of their heart, their fears, worries and cares.
Whatever you do, don’t rush them. Sometimes, in our eagerness to share the truth we get impatient and end up driving people away. If Rishana had tried to pick Nesbit up and force him to come inside he would have run away in fright. She had to let the relationship develop.
So, don’t bug people to come to church or overwhelm them with doctrine. Get to know them, meet their needs, be a friend. They don’t need doctrine right now. They need love. If we give them what they need, maybe in time they’ll trust us enough to come inside.
1 Corinthians 13:7 tells us “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
If Rishana had given up on Nesbit, she never would have had a new pet to love. Don’t give up on your friends or family either. Keep loving them, meeting their needs, being a friend. “At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Sometimes love takes time. Be patient, have faith, cling to hope, and most of all keep loving them – no matter what.