The Perfect Morning

I woke up early and packed a bag for my morning with Hope. I wanted to spend some quality time alone with her before the vet arrived. I packed a thermos of hot jasmine tea, a china cup and saucer, some candy and chips, a beach towel, and a book that my friend Andrea suggested called The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. 

Each morning I walk up to her stall gets a little easier... I'm a little less fearful, but every bit as excited to see her.  This morning, as soon as I opened the top to the dutch door, she greeted me with the cutest, "Baaahhhh".  Gosh, she's so cute. ♥


When I went to pet her though, she darted away and ran around the stall a couple times.  I was wrong to think we could pick up where we left off the day before.  So I laid out the beach towel, poured myself a cup of hot tea and sat down across the stall from her. Instead of talking to her as I usually do, I decided to just be still.  I noticed there were flies buzzing around me, and I batted them away - fearful they'd land on my teacup wanting a sip of my sugary tea.  Except for the flies, I thought, this was a perfect morning.

Hope finally settled and lay down in the corner across from me, right next to her food bowl.  As she kept her eyes on me, I quietly read her the story of Baby Jesus and the crippled lamb.  It was my first time reading the book, and it made me cry... such a sweet story.  I held the book up as I read, being sure to make eye contact with Hope while showing her the beautiful pictures on each page. 

I read... and she listened.  And she watched me very closely.

Hope listening to me read The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

And when I was finished reading and set down the book, Hope slowly got up and walked right over to me.  She tilted her cute little head as she looked right at my face, and then she licked my hand. As tears rolled down my cheeks, I noticed that all the flies were gone... and all was still... And my heart was full.


This was the perfect morning. ♥

Gifts in the Wait

In today's world, so many of us want instant results... we are too busy and are accustomed to streamlining all aspects of our lives.  With smartphones, everything is at our fingertips, and we are used to being able to get want we want when we want it.  I am no different.  In fact, I've never felt more pressured and busy than I do right now; and I feel like I simply don't have any extra time.

But Hope is teaching me something...   love can't be rushed.  Love requires trust, and trust takes time. So in perhaps the busiest season of my life, I am learning to be still... to be quiet... to be patient.  I'm learning that things can wait, that some things just aren't as important as I thought they were, and that some things are very very important and worth spending time on.

I'm learning to wait.

And there are gifts in the wait...

Like the first time Hope let me touch her while she was lying down and vulnerable...

And the moment that she fell asleep while I was sitting next to her and petting her.

My definition of a gift is something that makes your heart feel happy...  and my heart feels so very happy.  I have been blessed with this beautiful, gentle creature; and I thank God for the lessons and the beautiful gifts He is revealing through her...  ♥