A trip to the dog groomer...

Every so often, in the crap shoot called dog grooming; my dog, Lucy, comes out looking wonderful! These trips to the groomer have gone on every four weeks since we have had Lucy.  She came to us as a rescue and I loved her at first sight.  She did turn out to be bigger and shaggier than I we thought she would be.  Since she is an inside dog; not exactly a lap dog even though she thinks so and has a beautiful, fluffy coat of wavy black hair; she requires these frequent trips to the groomer.  Each time I take her she goes in much in need of a beauty treatment and comes out better.  As any mother knows; when I scope her out upon pickup, she is better; however, I usually detect some minor flaws in the grooming.  Maybe an uneven beard, a missed place on her belly, a little too short cut on her brow, a little too long cut on the brow making her look like the visor on an 1949 Chevy or just something not exactly right on her face.  After several of these trips I resigned myself to the fact that, "Yep, it's a crap shoot!"  Don't get me wrong;  I am a grateful person and know that I could not do a better job; not even close to what her groomer, Mary does.  I finally realized that these trips to the groomer contributed significantly to the building of hope in my life.  This caused me to think of our lives and how important hope is.  Each time she and I left with a few little things not kosher on the grooming; I began to hope that maybe one time I would pick her up and she would looked super duper! Trips would continue and I would think, "Not so great this time but maybe next time!" And then today was the  DAY !! I took her in looking be-draggled and picked up her looking like a million dollars in my eyes.  Top of her head - great; beard - great, belly - great, her brow absolutely spectacular! No 1949 Chevy visor look there.  It wasn't the hope that accomplished this. Probably Lucy's cooperation coupled with Mary's expertise was the answer.  But it was hope that kept me going back each time anticipation the blessing of a great groom.  Our lives are so much like this.  We hope in Christ and he never lets up down.  He knows exactly when that perfect groom job will come;  when the perfect job will come;  when the perfect life mate will appear; when the good news  from a doctor will come and all the other hopes we have.  Guess Lucy's groomer trips helped me to learn to keep on hoping, keep on believing and keep on trusting!!  Blessings, Martha       Psalm 39: 7  "And now, Lord, what do I wait for and expect? My hope and expectation are in You."