The Wait

"Did Anne-Marie get the birthday present yet?" I asked her dad on the phone recently. I had hurriedly mailed the package that was scheduled to get there in two days, the eve of our granddaughter's birthday. She was turning 12, and I had been mystified as to what she would like.

"I can't get her a toy," I mused as I spoke with my daughter on the phone a few days before. She agreed, as the birthday girl was growing up and probably leaned toward teenage interests. We settled on something from a bath and body store, and I was gratified to find a gift of lotions, creams and fragrances. The sparkly cellophane dotted with glitter and hearts gathered with a ribbon made for a festive bouquet of the shimmering tubes of warm vanilla balm.

Next came the mailing. I found a box that would fit, inserted the present and wrapped the box in brown paper, taping carefully to make it secure. My husband, who has a wonderful script penmanship and prints all our labels, addressed the package for mailing. He was a little off his game though, (I might have wakened him from a nap) and the result was a little messy, but legible.

Almost daily, I inquired about the package. "Not yet," was always the answer. Poor baby. I felt so bad that her present hadn't arrived on time. Finally, I gave it up as lost. Or maybe crushed and discarded. Everything went through my mind. Hubby Howard had asked the postal employee if he should re-do the label, but she said, "Oh, I can read it. It's okay!"

I stopped inquiring. I apologized to Anne-Marie about it when I saw her at Thanksgiving. Then yesterday I got a call from my son. "Anne-Marie's present came," he announced calmly, to my happy surprise! It had been nine days! I almost felt like Daniel when his prayer wasn't answered for 21 days!

Daniel 10:12 relates the angel's explanation to Daniel for the wait: Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. (13) But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."

Well, my predicament was nothing compared to Daniel's, (although I did pray about it) but things can happen that do seem like the enemy's doing. Dreams and plans are lost. Hopes and aspirations are crushed. Our intentions may not be clear and are misread. But God is still on the throne, and your answer may come any day, like my package!