She had a barker. While reading the book Mollie’s Tail – To Mollie with Love, written by a friend of mine, Ellen Gilman, I was surprised to learn that my friend owned Mollie fifteen months before she ever barked.
My friend and her family became the owners of Mollie after she had been abused for four years. The story tells of the challenges and victories as the dog transforms from a scared animal into a loving pet. The victory that amazed me most, however, was the length of time it took for the dog to bark. Fifteen months. I can’t imagine not talking for fifteen months. Yet, it took this long for Mollie to learn to trust my friend and her family, to become comfortable enough to speak.
When something has been happening for a long time, like Mollie’s abuse over her first four years of life, we can’t expect things to get better overnight. We must be patient and loving as we wait for trust to emerge. Sometimes in the process of waiting, we give up too soon. A number of times I have attempted to help someone. When I didn’t see the progress I thought I should see, I gave up and moved on, not allowing enough time for the one I was helping to learn to trust me.
Thankfully, God’s patience with us is not like that. He waits until we’re ready to come to Him. Bruised. Tattered. Betrayed. We all come with scars that keep us from trusting others. Somewhere along the way, our ability to trust has been violated. As we venture forth in life, learning to trust (or trust again) is a major accomplishment. Yet, God believes in us. He patiently and persistently loves us. His love and patience is never ending. He has no time limit. He will wait until we are ready. And while He waits, He will caress, woo, encourage, coax, and praise us.
Like my friend with her dog Mollie, God never gives up on us. If God has it His way, our lives will become lives of hope, love, and transformation. What an awesome Savior we have!
Are you struggling with trust today? Look to God for help. God is patient. God is kind. He will never leave your side. His love for you goes beyond the boundaries of time.
(Photo courtesy of office.microsoft.com.)
(For more devotions, visit www.christiandevotions.us.)
As with all Sheryl writes, I gained from her insight. I find her writing style to be gentle as her words fill me with His confidence and her words always inspire me to trust me more deeply and to hunger for more. I