Stealth, Silent, Sneaky! I feel like James Bond every morning as I try to tip toe past my dogs to go do my morning bible study. Sometimes I think, “mission accomplished” when all of a sudden, I hear the wagging of happy tails. I have been spotted! As I open their cages I just giggle as I watch them run out into the backyard. They are so excited about a brand new day! I love it! We have a black lab named Midnight and a little maltese named Rambo. They are quite a pair! Midnight is just over a year old. Rambo is four. My husband has wanted a lab for years. I surprised him with her last year. She is such a sweet blessing to our family. She loves her ball and needs lots of play time. Today, I thought I would work on her retrieving skills . I laughed to myself, “maybe Ron could use her to retrieve golf balls in So Cal.” Well, we started with the basics. She knew how to retrieve the ball and how to sit and wait. I wanted to see if she could do it through hand signs. She did it! What a girl. I would throw the ball. She would wait for me to give the signal. Many times I would run to another part of the yard, let her wait, and then give her the signal from a distance. She waited patiently for the the signal and off she went, going for the goal. She would grab the ball and run back with her prize! Tail wagging and ready to do it again. Obedient, patient, content and happy. Isn’t that how we should live life daily? Obedient to the Lords commands. Patient, as He guides and shapes us. Content to follow His plan. This would leave us tail waggin’ and happy. Yes, it is difficult to go through the training at times. It may be challenging because we may not hear the directions. But as we study and spend more time with Him, He gives us the eyes to see Him at work. We can see His direction. And then, all of a sudden, we have reached the goal. Peace, contentment, rest. I don’t believe that the Lord wants us to live a life with no direction. He knows the desires of our hearts. He calls us to spend time with Him. He mentors us through situations if we allow Him. He has the end product in mind. Plans to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future. But first, we must be willing to give Him the ball.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
