Simon revelation

My cat Simon has an open wound on his side...he'd had another wound there about 2 weeks ago, but it had healed...I thought...now it is gaping again and I must play doctor and keep it clean, etc. When I try to put medicine on it, Simon immediately jumps up and starts licking the wound again. Last night after I put the betadine on it, I began to stroke Simon's head and neck and just love on him. I was sort of "holding him down", with the purpose of having the betadine soak in and do its bacterial killing thing before Simon licked it all off. As I sat there, purposefully stroking his head and neck, he began to purr loudly...I knew I had to continue loving on him and doing everything within my power to let him know that he didn't need to be afraid, and what I was doing TO him in putting medicine on his wound was the best thing FOR him. Yet, while sitting there just loving on Him, with "my" ulterior motives, a deep love "connection" happened and a renewed trust between us seemed to rise up and take hold. Simon stopped trying to "break free" from my gentle grip and just let me love on him.

I was struck with a revelation that this is so much like how God deals with us. We've got major wounds, sometimes they are open and needing "treatment" by the Great Physician...and that treatment is not always pleasant; but in the middle of the treatment, our loving heavenly Daddy is all the time gently, lovingly, warmly stroking our head and heart, letting us know it's gonna be ok, and "I'm doing this for your good...you have to trust me that it is better for you that you don't continue to lick away at this wound, reopening it and letting it ooze, but rather that you let me apply the balm, the healing salve, so it can heal and you can be healthy again. In the meantime, I'm just gonna keep loving on you, passionately, purposefully, and always because that is Who I am." And when we willingly yield to His loving strokes, that intimacy between us is strengthened.

In the midst of our pain, do we know and feel the loving strokes of our heavenly Daddy? Maybe we simply need to sit in His presence, under His gentle hand and let Him love on us!