My friend Cici recently shared a little “parable in real life.” When her son was quite small, he had a small stuffed gorilla that he dragged around with him everywhere — and I do mean EVERYWHERE — he went. She could sometimes sneak it away for a quick laundering during nap time, but Heaven help her if her son awoke before his friend “Rilla” was out of the dryer! As such ‘”loveys” will do, Rilla’s seams gradually began to weaken and his stuffing began to leak. As she tells it, “Poor old Rilla was in desperate need of some corrective surgery, not to mention a stuffing transplant. One day, John waddled up to me and held up his battered, beloved Rilla and said, ‘Mommy, Rilla’s broked.’ I explained that I would be happy to fix Rilla up — a little new stuffing, some seam reinforcement, and he would be ‘all better’ again. John held Rilla out toward me, and said ‘Fizzit, Mommy!’ But, when I reached down to take the little gorilla in my hands, I found that it had a two-year- old firmly attached to it. As all parents know, a tug-of-war with a two- year-old is frequently a losing proposition, and is frequently accompanied by loud cries and copious tears. Finally, in exasperation, I said, ‘I can’t fix it until you let go of it!’ And just at that moment, the Spirit of God tapped me on the shoulder, as it were — and I realized that God was waiting for me to let go of several things, too.” This is one thing that I suspect will always be a struggle for many of us. It’s so hard for us to get out of his way and let our Creator “fizzit” in His own good time, because we’re living in the present moment and He is living in eternity. Waiting on the Lord, whether it is for an answer to prayer, for understanding, or a much needed job, is not an easy task. But, it is essential for us to be as patient with Him as He is with us. That’s expecting a lot from a human being. Then again, God gives us a lot and we expect a lot from Him at times. “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:41