I love morning walks with my dogs. They wait for me with tails wagging, ready to go at a moment’s notice. On one beautiful, cool morning, I hooked the leash on Mabel and off we went. The rain earlier that morning made everything feel fresh and new. I was listening to my favorite tunes and enjoying the peacefulness when I noticed Mabel was slowing down. I kept encouraging her, but her eyes were intent and focused on something. At first, I suspected that a squirrel or a dog had caught her eye, but when she came to a screeching halt, I knew something else was happening. Mabel wouldn’t take another step, and I felt a little frustrated that she was slowing me down. As I stooped to see if she was hurt, an enormous truck came barreling out of a driveway and almost ran over Mabel’s tail as she stood in front of me. The driver didn’t see us in his rush to back out of his driveway, but Mabel did. She knew before we reached that driveway there was potential danger, and that’s why she was trying to slow me down. She made me stop, protecting me from what could have been a fatal moment.
The truck driver never realized we were behind him, and after he made his speedy exit, I sat down on the curb. I was a little shaken, but Mabel was wagging her tail with delight. In a few seconds, she walked over and began licking my face, and doing her “merry Mabel dance.” She knew I was okay, and that was all that mattered to her. She was ready to proceed with the walk.
I thought about that near miss, and all the lessons I had been learning during the past year. There were moments when everything seemed to come to a screeching halt and a roadblock appeared. I’m guessing you’ve had a few of those, too. Moments of hurt and frustration cause us to wonder, “why is this happening?” They suck the wind out of us, and we’re sure we can’t continue. When we’re stuck behind a roadblock, God sees the road ahead. He sees all those trucks that are backing up when we can’t see them—all those situations that might cause us harm—and He pulls us in another, safer, direction. Sometimes those situations are people. Rejections can be protection! In my own life, sometimes I whined because it felt like I was being held back and slowed down, but He knew what 
was ahead, and who was ahead. He had a better plan, and He knew how to complete it.
Now I know that those screeching halts are actually God’s grace. He loves me so much he will protect me from everything that detours His plan. If I had kept pulling Mabel, forcing us to continue down the path at my speed, the result could have been deadly. It’s my job to trust God’s plan on every step of this journey and to let Him work. Sometimes it requires me to stop, be still, and remember that He has my back.
Mom always said, “Get outside of the box and stay there”! She believed that’s where the miracles are. I’ve seen the biggest miracles when I trust God with everything. He has the only plan I need. My job is to pay attention, listen, and follow as I trust Him to work in my life.