I prayed for patience. God gave me a border collie puppy. That was definitely not what I had in mind.
My husband and I had decided after our last dog died that we would not get another dog even though we both enjoy dogs. His exact words were, “You may have a dog when you decide to quit running around, quit traveling, and stay at home so we can properly care for it. If we get another dog, it will be an older rescued dog. I do not want to raise another puppy.”
Last November, my elderly mother bought an eight-week old border collie puppy. How did she expect to be able to take the dog out to do his business during the winter months while using a walker? When we realized Mom was determined to get the puppy that had stolen her heart, my husband and I volunteered to foster-parent the puppy until he was housebroken and had some basic training.
Because the puppy belongs to Mom, I had to make almost daily trips to her house so she could have quality time with it. Helping Mom train the dog was challenging because of the need for uniform word commands and hand actions. However, the major issue was helping her learn to work with him with her severely limited mobility. Nevertheless, a strong bond was built. Mom and Buckie are great pals.
But the fruit of the Spirit is … patience… Galatians 5:22
Thank you Lord for giving me this lesson in patience.