Patient Popdaughter

Our middle daughter exemplified the patience of Job this summer. We kept promising that she would have a car have a car have a car to take back to school this year. The whole second semester when we would talk to her she would gently mention perhaps she "might get a car for next year?" And we kept telling her yes yes yes. A car is in your future. We know you need a car, everything in us wants you to have a car, we will so focus on getting you a car. So when she came home for the summer she may have mentioned it one time....then she proceeded to get a job, make us proud with her work ethic each and every day at a job that while fun, was still taxing and exhausting. She made plans with her friends, saw movies, had dinner, went to the beach, went to E-Life every single Thursday night at her her Sunday School teacher's home... (who happens to be Super Churchlady), had her new roommates up for a weekend, visited her Grammie... she just went about her business and left the car-getting to us. She had several cars around here to drive and unless one was "out of rotation" and in the shop, she had wheels. But not her own, and certainly not wheels she would choose if given the choice. But the sweet girl did not whine, she did not hound, she did not pout. She simply enjoyed her life as it was and didn't worry about too much else, even the acquisition of a car. She knew we knew and she trusted us and waited patiently. She had faith in our word. She knew we wanted the absolute best for her. She went on a retreat this past weekend with her Sunday School class(Super Church Lady) and before she left I said something along the lines of "we'll shop for a car Sunday when you get back" even though I knew we had already bought her a car....we wanted to surprise her when she returned but gees I just wanted to throw the child a bone. My heart was aching for her because the calendar was ticking and still no car. Behind the scenes the car quest was made easy, divinely easy, plopped in our lap easy...we did not have to look far at all! No sweltering slogs through car lots, no tiresome haggling with salesmen, just smooth as silk, the car was available. So...long story short, we surprised her with keys to a darling, perfect car, RED no less, to match her school....A car we knew she would love and would not expect. More than she hoped for. More than she dared dream of. And she didn't even have to manipulate, finagle, cook up, orchestrate, or toss and turn a single night over it. Mr. Popcorn and I never ever for one minute forgot that our precious child wanted a car.Her patience never went unnoticed, we were acutely aware of it. It might have seemed to her that we had, but lo we had not!. Our minds were on getting her a car. The car that fit her every desire and need. Oh my gosh the analogy!!! This is the kind of trust we are supposed to have in God in all situations in our lives!!! Exactly the same. Pray, hand it over, know He knows, and move forward with a happy, expectant attitude doing what we are supposed to do while we wait on Him to unfold the perfect, better than we dreamed of plan. A plan that we couldn't have concocted if all the planets were aligned and we cocked our heads just right. What a lesson for ME! God's timing and will for us beats anything we can come up with even as we pat an impatient foot. What a clear and obvious metaphor!! Do you see it too? This isn't the first time God has taught me through parenting and I know it won't be the last. Our daughter's ability to graciously roll with the punches of life and wait on us to come through is the essence of faith played out in our daily existence. Amazing.