Perfectly Patient…Uh Oh

We recently added another dog to the mix.  Mocha, a chocolate lab, joined our family last Sunday and I could tell already that there are going to be a whole lot of lessons exchanged between us.  Adam the mailman, Bruce the UPS guy, her breeder, friends on Facebook  have all said she’s going to be big….”look at those paws, that head.”  Gulp!!!  She’s sweet and busy and nippy and vocal and stubborn and smart and teachable.  I’m all those things too so I’m up for the challenge.  Today I glanced over at her as she was sleeping and twitching away and as I marveled at how big she was already at 9 weeks, I heard the Lord say, “don’t let the outside fool you, she’s just a baby…be patient.”

That comment resonated in my spirit.   Outward appearances can fool us.  That person who seemingly has it all together, is altogether wrecked and no one seems to notice and the ones who get close enough to know the deal, don’t want to know the details…be patient.  That daughter, whose outside screams that she’s a woman is still a child becoming a woman, subject to the same disappointments and feelings, but lacking the experience and knowledge to navigate her world…be patient; that church member, newly saved and knowing everything…uh, yeah…still a baby…be patient!  Even though Mocha is pretty big for her age…GULP; even though at 6 months…maybe even at 3 months, she’ll be strong enough to take me down, I can’t be moved (well I can, but not in that way)…I need to remember that she’s still a baby and while I must be firm and unbending where her training is concerned, I must also be patient.

The one thing I have learned about patience is that you don’t ask for it, unless you are prepared for  every devil in hell posing as your boss, your neighbor and your loved one to be unleashed against you to test it and, well, you just have to pass!!  You should also expect to be tested in traffic, at the grocery store…even your appliances and – ahem, your computer will play a role in your testing.  You can’t pass a test unless you’re tested, right?  I’ve been a pretty good student of patience.  I say student because I have witnessed the fruit of it, but can confidently say that I will always be minding that garden.  I’ve been able to clip the lip, but you should see what’s going on in my head…those “murderous thoughts,” (not really murder, maybe just inflicting injury); the toe tapping (yes, in my head); the white knuckling, lip biting, deep breathing, counting…1, 2, 3…you feel me?  James 1:4 says “But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be (people) perfectly and fully developed (with no defects), lacking in nothing.”  So, if I give patience permission to do its thing, I can expect to be perfectly developed, with no defects and lacking nothing and those around me from my puppy to that baby in church will greatly benefit and I will maintain my perfect peace because I’m perfectly patient!.

Lord, perfect my patience…Uh oh!

I just have to say…this the second time I wrote this blog.  The first one…”error message…deleted unretrievable.”  You see what I mean?  OY!!!!

My Daisy

My Daisy

I have found joy in the form of a bouncy white fur ball of a friend.  She’s deliciously rowdy, mischievous and super naughty.  My daughter asked me why I love her so much.  I responded simply, “Because she loves me.”  She pursues me, literally – underfoot, constantly…watching my every move, howling uncontrollably when I leave and shrieking hysterically when I return.  Her name is Daisy and of course, she has a story.

…And her name shall be Dazey and she will be dressed in pink. – Posted on 12/6/11

I’m one of those girls who is simple enough to believe that God cares about every single thing that I care about; that He delights in my joy; desires to bless me and because I’m simple enough to believe that I am His favorite, 🙂 He hears me when I cry, when I call He answers and when I ask, He responds.  And so it was last December, 2011 when I began talks with my husband about my desire to add to our family a “Daisy.”  He scoffed and
reminded me how busy we were; how big a responsibility a dog would be; how he would definitely be unavailable to dog sit, dog walk, dog feed…you get the picture!  He was not into it at all. Days later, he ran into someone whose grandmother raised ’em and I knew my honey was on the ropes when he handed me grandma’s name on a piece of paper.  I was gonna win this heavyweight fight…I knew it, I just knew it!  While he shook his head, later that day, I downloaded the above picture of my dog-to-be and plastered it everywhere…on every screen…mobile, computer, i-everything that I owned.  I posted her picture on Facebook with a proclamation on that day in December…”And her name shall be Dazey and she will be dressed in pink.”  Each time I logged on to anything, this picture would pop up causing me to want her more; to solidify my decision.   I contacted the breeder to test the waters and she informed me that she didn’t have any pups available, but would contact me as soon as she did.

Now, I know God probably has much better things to do than to hear my continual plea for a puppy, but as I said, I am His favorite and so I know it…I just know it…He heard my plea, heard my daughter and I come into agreement that should it be His will, He would bring us the perfect puppy and my honey’s heart would soften to the idea.  So it happened, on February 11, that long awaited text with a picture attached was received.  I opened it and she had me at the “ding ding” of the text.  I told Vali that I needed to seal the deal with my husband, but I wanted her.  I had already named her Dazey (I had to change the spelling when Vali dropped this next bit o’ info on me).  She was amazed at my choice of names and explained that my Daisy would be a third generation Daisy, since both Daisy’s mother and grandmother shared that name.  What????  She’s gotta be mine, I know it…I just know it!  Would my husband dare go against God’s will?  Nah:) 🙂 🙂

On February 26, 2012 Daisy joined our family and as she settled in, I thanked the Lord for my little blessing.  I noticed her birthdate and was once again reminded  how much He loves me…How much He is in the details…How He really cares about my joy. You see, Daisy was born one day after I made viral my desire in early December (see picture above).  Her birthday is December 7, 2011.  He is never late…always on time…His time!

I love my Daisy and she loves me…I know it, I just know it!! ❤