Moses stretched luxuriously on the smooth, warm hood of the man’s pickup. Ahhh! This was perfect. From this vantage point, Moses had a commanding view of his surroundings. The sun warmed his body, and a light breeze ruffled his fur. He didn’t notice that his paws had left dirty tracks and that his claws had scratched the paint. He didn’t comprehend that the man had spent hard-earned money to buy this truck. As far as Moses was concerned, this was nothing more than a cat perch, which had appeared at this perfect place and time for his perfect enjoyment. What contentment! What tranquility!

A door slammed. The man’s harsh voice grated on the peaceful scene. Moses jumped to his feet, alarmed. He couldn’t understand the words, but he understood the meaning: it was time to leave—now! Moses scrambled for safety, leaving behind more scratches on the truck’s paint.

The man looked from Moses to his truck and back to Moses. His irritation turned to thoughtfulness. He wondered how many times he had carelessly trodden underfoot something that someone else valued. Perhaps a few ill-chosen words had left dirty paw prints on someone’s feelings. Perhaps a betrayed confidence had scratched a friend’s emotions. These misdeeds could easily have happened through his neglect or carelessness, and he may have been unaware of the problems he’d left behind.

Worst of all would be to fall short of the grace of God and thus tread underfoot the Lord Jesus. Soberly, the man turned to go back to the house. As he went, he glanced again at Moses, who paused in his grooming just long enough to return his gaze knowingly. *

Who are you to judge your brother,
When you do the same thing he did to another?
—adapted from Romans 2:1 

*This story is not an actual happening.

From Paws on My Porch, by Gary Miller
© 2015 TGS International, PO Box 355, Berlin, Ohio 44610
Used by permission