by Leigh Ann Dilley on December 01, 2025
The words were out of my mouth before I had given them any thought…
Recently, I walked my dog Faith to the grocery store to purchase a few items. As we neared the store, we had to cross one of the busier streets in town. Several times Faith tried to dash into oncoming “rush hour” traffic and if it hadn’t been for my firm grip on her leash she would have gotten hit by a car. Finally, we crossed in safety! Then, she did the same thing on our return trip from the store. You may remember from previous “Lesson’s from Faith”, she suffers from anxiety at times. When we able to walk safely cross the street again, I reassuringly said “ “See Faith, I told you, all you have to do is wait for me, and everything would go smoothly.” That’s when it hit me! How many times must God have said this to me?
If you know me well, you know, I am in a very hard season of waiting. I have a young granddaughter I have never met due to an estrangement in our family. It has been heavy to carry and has lasted far too long. I have tried everything I know to fix it. My only option left is to wait for God to act and like many people of faith in the Old Testament, I’m finding waiting is tedious, if not painful! It’s easier; although less successful, to jump ahead of God and take control, just like Faith wanted to do with me, but I’ve had enough experience to know, that acting out of fear, doubt, frustration, anger, confusion, or pain is not acting on faith. It is not the best action, nor is it in God’s timing and will.
Abram was a man who could have lost hope through “the wait” if ever there was one. Add Sarai, Abrahm’s wife, to the mix of impatience and doubt. Her plan of offering Hagar to produce the promised offspring was disastrous. There are many other stories of waiting in the Bible: Joseph, Moses, David to name a few.
When we choose our own path instead of waiting on God, we are choosing a plan that is less than what God wants for us. There are times when the most difficult course of action of faith is, no action at all - to wait patiently on God’s timing. (John MacArther)
I’ll conclude with the best part of the story. After walking less than a block with Faith on the other side of the dangerous street crossing, I saw a car parked in front of us. The license plate read: Ms. Mabel. Mabel is the name of the granddaughter I have never met. . . Hmm.
