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Have you ever noticed that, once the teacher presents the lesson, He assigns homework? That’s where I am right now: waiting – and doing my homework.
Last week was a flurry of appointments. My 20-year-old car is in good condition. My 74-year-old mouth not as much. It’s not the cancer, and I think it will turn out to be no big deal. But I have to go see an endodontist. The office was closed, so I have to wait to make an appointment.
But my 13-year-old cats? Not at all. That’s 68 in people years. So, it’s no surprise that they have issues, in this case, early kidney disease. That’s a problem.
They had a kidney diet for years but now they won’t eat it. So (in my great wisdom), I tried them on a number of different kinds, and, with a pantry now full of sundry cat foods, found one they really like. Mission accomplished? Not even a little. Even though they like what I feed them, I am making their kidney disease worse. There is no choice but to change their diet – again.
My vet’s online prescription food service will sell me a small bag of dry cat food. I’m waiting for delivery. But the smallest number of cat food cans I can buy is 24. And if they won’t eat it? The pantry just got fuller, and my wallet slimmer. Maybe I can get a few individual cans from the vet’s office. But yesterday, when I called to ask, I spent half an hour waiting on hold.
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Waiting. Making decisions and waiting. Second-guessing those decisions and waiting some more. All the while thinking how uncomfortable uncertainty is. I want things back to normal. But what would I have learned?
Because I am learning. Just this morning I recognized that instead of obsessing and grieving my problems, I should praise God that there are solutions. Solutions that I have the power to adopt … once I’ve found them.
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Oh. Maybe, just maybe, that’s what I’m supposed to learn.
Excuse me. I’m going to go talk to the One Whose office is never closed and Who never puts me on hold.
Great last line!