“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” (Mic 7:7)

Lilly stood on all fours on the back of the couch, growling low in her throat and looking toward the door. Her growl grew in intensity until it became a full-fledged bark, almost drowning out the chime of the doorbell. She bounded off the couch and raced to the door, alternately scratching and jumping at the door frame, barking the entire time. I grabbed my bowl of candy off the table near the door, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

“Trick or treat!” the kids in superhero costumes yelled, holding out their sacks for candy.

Lilly jumped at the screen door, trying with all of her might to push through the door. The kids jumped back, and then I heard, “What a cute puppy!” So much for her ferociousness.

I asked the kids to go around to the front of the house. (I used the side door as my entry.) Lilly stayed right on my heels, determined to get to these kids who had the nerve to come to our house on Halloween. I made her stay inside while I stepped onto the enclosed porch. Now that there was a barrier between Lilly and the kids, I was able to hand out candy to the kids without fear of Lilly jumping on them or running away through the open door.

Isn’t our walk with God often like this? Like Lilly, we see something that we want, and we try desperately to reach it. But God puts obstacles in our path to keep us from it. Maybe we’re after something that isn’t good for us. Or maybe we simply need to learn to wait.

How do you wait? With impatience? By wrestling with God? By feeling that you’re constantly at odds with what you want versus what you need? We’ve all experienced those feelings. How do you learn to settle in for the wait? You pray and study God’s word, and you learn to trust that he is working things out in his own time. It’s not easy, and it doesn’t necessarily get any easier. But when we take our focus off the object that has gained our attention and put it back on God, he will help us, strengthen us, and teach us through the waiting. He is still there, even as we wait.

Dear Lord, thank you for being with me even as I wait for the things I want. I know you only have my best in mind. Amen.