Patient in the Waiting by Christina Briggs
I’m reminded, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25, KJV). The importance of praying and being patient for God’s answer in our lives makes going through life much easier, rather than going it alone. I know this all too well. This year has been a challenging one for me to say the least. For the past five or six years, I’d been working part time as a caregiver for the first four, then went back into teaching for another year. I couldn’t handle facing the death of clients anymore, and the job I once loved started to take a toll on my body. It was a tough decision for me to let go of a career that once brought me joy and purpose, but my lower back was suffering, and I knew it was time to say goodbye.
2024 rolled around, and another change came around the corner I wasn’t expecting. God had other plans for me. You see… I was a workaholic most of my life, and I took great pride in the work I was doing. Constantly keeping myself busy with work, taking care of the house, trying to write in between me, spending time with family and friends, and working out… I was in a whirlwind of busy chaos. I was doing well in my busy world until the month of September swept in. Several factors changed the course I was on. We buried our family dog, which broke our hearts, because of the wonderful dog he was. Toby had mouth cancer at 14 years old. Our husky had a wonderful life with us.
On top of losing our pet, my husband and I were worried about our youngest son, dealing with headaches and short term memory issues from concussions he developed, while playing football. Thankfully, we were able to get him in to see a Neurologist and his team, who were fantastic. They were able to work with him, and get him the help he needed. I’m happy to say it's eight months later, and our son is thriving and participating in his first year of track. He’ll be a Senior next year. I don’t even want to begin to think about him graduating. I thank God on hearing the news that our son would be okay, and will take time to heal, and he will.
What I thought would be a great job for me this year, turned into a complete disaster. The person I was supposed to work with wasn’t a good fit. We had different ideas and both of us had strong personalities. At the end of the day, I realized I’d taken on more than I could chew. I left the job crying and angry. I drove myself to the nearest Dunkin Donuts for an iced coffee to soothe the hurt and frustration I was feeling. It wasn’t my finest moment. I drove around for a while, trying to collect my thoughts, wondering what I was going to do now. During my drive around town, I started talking to God about the situation.
I thought of the Bible verse where God tells us in (James 4:8, KJV) “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.”
I heard His still small voice say, turn the car around and go home. It’s what I did. God is truly a Father to us in our most vulnerable moments. My husband and I discussed getting a new puppy for our family, as the grief had taken hold of all of us more than we could’ve ever imagined. We looked online, scanning through many pictures of all kinds of puppies. It’s funny, because I had been praying for God to make a way for me to work from home for the past month, but nothing was happening in the job market for me. For the first time in my life, door after door was being shut on me. It was a tough reality for me to swallow after having had many yes’s in the past.
The answer would come in the next couple of days, when my husband stumbled on a picture of an adorable dog in a shelter in Maine. Four hours from our home. We talked about it and thought maybe we were taking on a dog too soon. But I saw those beautiful blue sad eyes in one of the pictures, stealing my heart forever. The sadness in his eyes stayed on my mind. We struggled with the thoughts of responsibility of having a dog again, but we both wanted to give this small, adorable,orange and white dog a home. My husband still thinks his color is brown, but I’m determined it's a light orange. The decision day came. After the calls and paperwork were completed the dog was ours within a few days.
We couldn’t believe how fast everything came together for us to get the dog. It felt as if it was meant to be. My husband went to Maine to pick up our new furbaby. Little did we know of the challenges ahead of us, along with the answer from God. It came in a way I never expected. We noticed over the next few days and weeks our new one-year-old, Pomsky, had severe separation anxiety. We tried leaving him for a little bit at a time, putting him into dog daycares, and treats galore, only to be back to square one. He also has fears of things, which saddens me, because we believe he’s been abused either by his owner or maybe in one or both shelters he’d been in. The little guy was found wandering on his own and placed in a kill shelter in Texas until a shelter in Maine picked him up. At least it’s what we were told. We’ll never know what our dog has been through, but one thing we do know is we’ll always love him.
After weeks of having our newfound puppy, I was home full-time to help our dog settle into his new home and form a routine for him. The next three months would change my life. I noticed I was spending more time with the Lord, reading the Bible, along with praying daily. A calm entered my life where chaos and pride once stood. I didn’t know how prideful I was until the money was gone from me. Every part-time job I applied for kept getting turned down. One after another.
Having our dog, Rigby, was a blessing to our lives and was certainly for me. God answered my prayer. I was now home full-time. It wasn’t what any of us had expected, but it’s where things were and are meant to be for now. (Isa. 55:8-9 KJV) “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, my ways, saith the Lord.” This word spoke to me so loud and clear this year.
Since I’ve been home, I’ve been able to hear God more clearly, whereas before I’m embarrassed and sad to say, God’s voice had been muffled in the business of life.
I had moved away from my quiet time with the Lord. No wonder I was stressed and caught up in work, my family, friends, and my own selfishness at times. I’m not saying my family and friends are a burden to me. No. They are blessings in my life, but I often even put them ahead of my time with God. In my quiet times spent with the Lord, I’ve had more peace and love in my heart. My prayers have been more meaningful, along with journaling again, which had also been put off for a time. God has opened a door for me to write again in which I am most thankful, because he knows it’s my passion. God is so good. Amen. Through this journey I’ve been on with our new dog, Rigby, I’m learning to be patient in the waiting, and I’m excited to see where God takes me from here. (Jer.33:3 KJV) “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which you knowest not.
Christina Briggs is a writer/author of her first children's book coming out on August 16th, and has been published in Seacoast Scene Magazine, Parenting NH, and Calla Press, along with being a guest on Far Betterment Podcast and is soon to be on Women at the Well podcast. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, two boys, and their two-year-old Pomsky.
