Nan's Calendar

by Nan Forehand, Statesville, NC
Nov. 7, 2011

Love comes out of Heaven unasked and unsought. Pearl Buck

This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son. 1 John 4:10

On October 18, 2011, love came running out of the woods by my office. We call this love Gracie. My co worker, Leann, had gone outside for a moment. The wind was howling and the leaves were being ripped from the trees. She heard the chattering of birds, obviously taunting some creature below. In the midst of this audible display of autumn, she paused, listened more carefully and to her amazement, she heard the muffled cry of a kitten somewhere in the woods. Coming through the door, Leann called to me and said "Nan, I hear a kitten in the woods." Since we didn't have any patients to assist nor was the phone ringing, we went outside to investigate. We listened closely and then we heard the kitten crying again. I followed the sound to the far edge of the parking lot near the highway and looking into the woods, I saw a tiny kitten all alone. I began calling "here kitty, kitty" and the kitten heard me and ran as fast as it could directly towards me and didn't stop until it reached my feet. It could barely see me because one of its eyes was shut from all the gunk in it. The other eye wasn't much better. I reached down and scooped it up into my arms and rubbed it. It looked pathetic. It was covered in fleas, I mean, to the point of being infested. It weighed barely a pound. I told Leann that I was taking it to my Vet. I found a zippered case in my car that was perfect for the occasion and placed the kitten inside. Long story short..... Gracie is free from fleas, her eyes are clear and bright. She still has a ravenous appetite and is full of life. Yes, she is like the love of which Pearl Buck speaks. She came out of the woods unasked and unsought, but she came and she has given us all the love a little one pound kitten can give. She has trusted me from the very first moment she heard my voice. She was at death's door in many respects. She could have died from the fleas, starved to death, become a snack for a wild animal, and not to mention, it rained that same night we rescued her. She could have died from being out in the rain all night. She is named Gracie, because by the grace of God, she didn't die that fateful day. I pray for the person who abandoned her in the woods. Little does that person know that God had greater plans for the life of that tiny kitten. She fills our lives with love. Sometimes, we think we have given all the love we have to give and have no room for one more responsibility. God's plan is far greater than our near-sighted visions. When love comes to you unasked and unsought, how will you respond? Nan's Calendar comes to you, unasked and unsought, because I am filled with love and compassion for all of God's creations, because I am called to love, to encourage, to challenge and to inspire. This is not from me. I am merely a vessel God uses in whatever way He so chooses. I am willing and able.
Love and prayers lift you this day. Always, Nan