Pam Padgett ... teacher
Several years ago my next door neighbors were very annoyed when my dogs
barked. I did many things to keep the dogs from bothering them, but
there was continual tension. I prayed asking God to resolve the problem
somehow. Then one day I noticed a "For Sale" sign was being put in
their yard, and I was very thankful to God that they were moving. I
also asked God to please let someone buy the house who would not be
bothered by my dogs. Both sets of owners since then have not been
bothered by the dogs and have seemed surprised when I have checked with
them to make sure there were no problems.
But recently something unexpected happened that I thought might well be a
problem to the current owners. They were having an outdoor gathering
with several guests, both adults and
children. I went to another neighbor's house for a short while, and when I
came home was shocked to hear my dogs barking through the fence toward the
children at this gathering. I immediately quieted the dogs, and was so sorry this had happened. A day
or two later I had an opportunity to talk with the wife and
apologize for the barking. She seemed puzzled at first then,
laughing, said that the children had
thought that the dogs were "talking" with them and had excitedly told
the various parents about this. The children thought it was a wonderful
game to get to talk to the dogs and have the dogs "talk" back. The barking had not been a problem to anyone. It is
amazing to me how God has worked all of this out, continuing to answer
my prayer, and even more than I prayed ... not only are the neighbors not
bothered by my dogs, but the barking was seen as something pleasant, a game!
As I was thanking God that there are no longer problems
with neighbors because of the dogs, I realized that most of all,
I'm grateful because God worked all of this out. This is not something I worked out; God has done this.
Psalm 52:9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.