I have written about our barn cats before. They are semi-feral cats that we feed and they hang around to keep the mice and snakes away from our house. It works fairly well. Until there is an extended drought and a resurgence in the coyote population.

When we came home from the Youth Gathering in mid-July, the one we called Mama Kitty who had been with us for years and had several litters of kittens had vanished. We had another cat who had her first litter of kittens about 4 weeks earlier, but we had not yet seen any of them. A few days after we returned home, that cat quit coming around as well. A couple more day and I discovered two little kittens down in our barn crying. The next day, I found a cage and went to find the kittens who were still down there crying because their mother had not returned. It turns out there were four of them. I managed to catch three that day, and we started bottle feeding them kitty formula, which they devoured. We brought the cage into the house to keep them safe. Unfortunately, the next morning one of them had died. I then managed to catch the last one, so we had three we were feeding again. But the next day, despite our best efforts, another one died. The other two – the first and the last one I caught – seemed to be doing great. A week later they were playing and purring and it looked like all was well. But the next morning another one had died. The last one living is also the last one I was able to catch. I know he will never be a barn cat now that he has been brought into the house, and we have found someone who will adopt him.

As I said, we did the best we could for all four of them. We treated them all the same.  We gave them the same kitten formula. We tried to care for them. Some responded well, some did not.

That’s how it is with our sharing of Jesus, too. We share the same message with people, and some will respond to the Spirit’s invitation to believe and live. Others will turn away without receiving the life Jesus has for them.

Thinking about this reminded me of the Parable of the Sower.

Matthew 13:3–9, 18-23 ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear.” … ¹⁸ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰ The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²² The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Our job is to keep sowing the seed, keep sharing the life-saving message of who Jesus is and that He has paid for the sins of everyone, so the Spirit can do His thing and lead them to faith. We need to show love and care and Christ’s love, even when it seems to be unsuccessful. It is our task to share it and let the Spirit of God work through our witness.

There will be those who respond, believe, and live.