When You’re Waiting On God

What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails
And puppy-dogs’ tails,
That’s what little boys are made of.

For one of our little grandsons, that poem is so accurate. He loves any kind of animal, and will warm up to whatever dog or cat is around, no matter its hesitant nature towards children. He has a way with them, and a heart that melts to love and care for this furry friend. His brother is far more resistant and quite leery about animals, perhaps knowing how quickly one can turn on an unsuspecting child.

Last year, their parents did the loving thing and purchased a puppy for their animal-loving son and his twin brother. Beasley was welcomed into their home as a wiggling, barking, ever-moving Labradoodle. His teeth were never satisfied with the likes of store-bought teethers. He would nip and snip at the boys when they were running through the yard. Our animal lover thought this was hilarious; his brother was traumatized by it. All kinds of dog-training methods were used, but over time the puppy continued to howl and bite, and the frightened grandson, became more and more upset.

A hard decision had to be made. Would it be best to get rid of the puppy for the sake of peace in their home, or would it break the heart of their animal-lover too much? They prayed and sought God’s direction. Then the answer came in an unsuspecting call from someone who had wanted a dog just like their puppy! Their son was coming home for Christmas break and would be happy to stop in, retrieve the dog and bring it to his new forever home. It was the answer they had prayed for.

The next morning when their animal lover awoke, they broke the news gently that Beasley had to go to a new home so he would be happier and his brother would also be happy. The tender-hearted son, also loving his brother, nodded, never had a meltdown or tears, but over the next months would ask about Beasley and ask to be reminded about exactly why she had to leave their home.

Put yourself in the parents’ shoes…they felt awful. To have given a gift of a puppy to a little boy and then a couple months later take it away seemed like the most unthinkable and unloving act a parent could do. They had given it was a gift of love and now his heart was broken. We were all sad for this little guy, but we could see that his parents had done what was best for their family. True joy had returned and the tears and terror of the other son were now pacified.

Fast forward eight months. The boys had gone out to their yard and found a black and white cat curled up in one of the chairs on their deck. It was not startled by their approach; it even stayed there while our animal lover stroked her fur and talked to her. Because their Gigi (me) and their auntie have cats, they knew how to play with a cat, how to be gentle and move slowly. This kitty was so sweet, so patient that even our not-so-much a pet lover began to think she was pretty cute. Daily when they would come outside, she would be there, curled on the chair or loafed up on the deck floor. She would stay all day. Nicknames were given to her – Kit Kat and Oreo. She slept in the raised beds while the boys raced around the yard in their gator. She bathed calmly while a frisbee flew over her head. This cat was something special. They wondered where her home was, and kept from feeding her, in case she did have owners. One evening our pet lover watched her swag over the fence and away from their yard. He cried.

“Mommy, why won’t God let the kitty stay?”

How does a mommy answer that, except for telling him she probably has a family somewhere else.

But as the song goes, the cat came back and back and back, day after day. After a couple weeks of her hanging out at their house all day, it was time to find out if she had a home. After several stops at neighbors’ homes, screenshot of the kitty in hand, a neighbor/friend nearby nodded.

“Yes, she is ours, but we have three cats. One of them had kittens and is now very protective and keeps running her away each time she returns. She’s three years old, has been fixed and has had all her shots. If you’d like to have her, we’d be happy for you to keep her.”

It seemed too good to be true. This kitty with the perfect nature would now be their family pet. That same day they took their boys (who didn’t know the good news yet) to the store and then down the pet aisle.

“What are we doing here?” they asked.

“The kitty was given to us by the people who owned her. She’s our kitty now.”

Our pet-lover put his hands over his face and his tear-filled eyes in an act of joyful disbelief.

Is this not the sweetest picture of God’s grace gifts that He bestows on us daily? We wonder, “God, why did you take that from me?” “Why can’t I have this that I love so much?” All the time, our loving Father knows that it will hurt us in some way, or that the time is not right, or He has other purposes that we can’t even see, and He keeps it from us. Then in His time, and in a way we could NEVER dream of, He bestows His lavish grace gift and we put our hands over our tear-filled eyes and weep for joy and praise to our God Who always, only gives good gifts to His children.

So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

I pray that this story will refresh your heart to trust your heavenly Father. Wait for Him. Trust Him. He knows what is best.