wet!

I went with my sister to Isabel's (my niece) class at the Little Gym one Saturday. Classes had already begun when she and her mom got in to join the other toddlers and moms/dads. But true to her “Dora, the Explorer” form, Isabel didn’t immediately join the other kids in class and, instead went running around exploring the different gym equipment. I guess that's why the teachers came up with the moniker, "Isabel, the Wander Girl." Soon, the other toddlers were following suit and were exploring as well.

At one point, Isabel and Maya, another toddler, were both rushing to go play at the obstacle course. Isabel got there first but Maya bumped into her and tried to hurry her along. Isabel turned around and looked at Maya square in the face and said, “Wet!” (translation: Wait! I got here first you know. Wait for your turn when I'm done. If you had gotten here first ...- well, really, she just meant "wait" )

Wow! What a lesson coming from my 1 ½ year-old niece!

I carried this lesson as I was driving home that night amidst the rains and the slow moving drivers. I was tempted to overtake the slow cars or, at the very least, blast my horns to move them along. But my niece’s “wet” incident gave me pause and I just patiently trudged my way through traffic. This made driving more relaxing and even enjoyable.

The lesson from our 1 ½ year-old "wander girl" reminded me once again that I am where I should be. Being stuck in traffic may mean I’m being kept from something unpleasant from happening. Getting stalled in a long line at the supermarket may be God’s way of teaching me patience. And maybe, when prayers seem to go unanswered, God is telling me that His answer is for me to trust and to just..."wet".