10/07/2026
Today Natalie and I heard a distinct meow coming from the woods.
So we stopped. We called back. We walked toward the trees. Eventually, a familiar face emerged from the brush.
It was one of our cats, Jenny, that had been missing for months. We coaxed her out, found a quiet place in the yard where she could be away from the other animals, and fed her.
Then we simply sat with her.
No chasing. No forcing. No noise.
Just food. Stillness. Space. Safety.
And as I sat there watching her eat, I felt the Lord drawing my attention to something deeper. I felt He was speaking ever so gently to my spirit.
“There are people who have been living in the woods of their own hearts.”
Not because they wanted to be there.
Because somewhere along the way; life hurt, something broke, someone wounded them.
Disappointment drove them deeper.
Fear taught them to hide.
And after hiding long enough, the woods started to feel safer than home.
You learn how to survive in places you were never meant to stay. You learn how to live on scraps when there is a table waiting for you. You learn how to stay hidden when the Father has been calling your name.
And I believe there are hungry hearts reading this right now.
Still alive. Still moving. Still surviving.
But starving for something this world cannot give them.
Peace….. Rest…. Love… Presence.. Nourishment.
And sometimes, hunger is what finally brings us out of the woods.
That cat didn’t come out because we chased her down. She came out because she heard a familiar voice. And when she came out, there was food waiting. There was a safe place waiting. There was someone waiting to care for her.
And I believe the Father is calling some of His children out of hiding right now.
Not with shame. Not with condemnation. Not demanding an explanation for where you’ve been.
He is calling you closer.
Come out.
Come closer.
Come home.
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Come to Me.
Not, “Fix yourself first.”
Not, “Prove you belong here.”
Not, “Explain why you wandered.”
Come.
There is nourishment in His presence. There is rest. There is shelter. There is safety in the secret place.
And the secret place isn’t where God hides from you. It is where He meets you. Where the Shepherd tends His sheep. Where the Father feeds His children. Where the weary can stop running. Where the wounded don’t have to perform. Where the hungry can finally be fed.
Maybe you’ve been living in the woods for a while. Maybe you’ve learned how to survive there. Maybe you’ve grown so accustomed to hiding that you’ve forgotten what it feels like to be held.
But hear this:
You are not being called out of hiding to be exposed. You are being called out of hiding to be embraced.
The Father isn’t standing at the edge of the woods waiting to punish you.
He’s calling you home. Come out of the noise. Come out of survival mode. Come out of the place where you’ve been hiding. Come into His presence. Come into the secret place. Close the door. Get alone with Jesus. Open His Word. Worship. Be still. Let Him feed you. Let Him restore you. Let Him remind you that you are still His.
You don’t have to bring Him the polished version of yourself.
Bring Him the hungry one.
Bring Him the tired one.
Bring Him the wandering one.
Bring Him the one who doesn’t even know how to come home anymore.
The Shepherd still calls His sheep by name.
And if you hear His voice coming through the woods…
don’t run deeper. Don’t hide.
Come out. Come home. 🥹❤️🔥
