Chloe is an afterthought in the Barnes family. Back when the kids were growing up in the era of a feline population explosion that got out of hand, Chloe was the lone survivor. In a family that loves pets, Chloe is the last in a long line of Barnes cats who didn't fare so well in the Darwinian environment here.

Some cats are invited into a family's home and grow into fat, lazy fur balls, not ours. They fend for themselves, supplementing their diets out in the woods with mice and birds.

The interesting thing is that in her middle age, Chloe is turning from a rugged outdoor survivalist animal into a soft, purring, lap sitting indoor cat. For some reason, she has developed a routine of waiting by the front door in the morning. When I let Whimsy out, she darts in and begins to stalk me until I sit down, whereupon she jumps on my lap and begins to purr.

Whimsy, returning inside, is invariably put out by the challenge to his spot on my lap, so both animals jump up and park themselves side by side, Chloe purring and Whimsy occasionally growling his displeasure at having to share leg space.

I wrote about Chloe earlier. A lot of us as humans are like her. We grew up as survivors, our self-sufficiency honed by not having our needs met in normal ways. We were made to fit in the curves of our heavenly father's lap as it were. He longs for our company while we roam the outdoors trying to fill our stomachs.

We may not realize it, but the opportunity to become a different kind of cat is always there for us. If we'll wait at God's front door in the mornings and stalk him until he invites us up on his lap, we'll find that we fit there and our spirits will soften. Our hardened habits of self-reliance will begin to melt away. We'll begin to feel at home and comfortable in his presence.

Take an inward look for a moment. It is normal to grow up independent and far from the lap of God. But you weren't created for that. Your past doesn't have to be prologue. All it takes is a decision. Our destiny is to become indoor cats. When we die, Jesus tells us, he has prepared a place for us. But we don't have to wait to spend time in his presence.

Take stock of your survivalist ways. It's time for you to begin feeding your spirit more and not just your stomach. Choose Chloe's path - wait by his door in the morning and in his presence, slowly you'll find yourself changing.