Summary: Only one day of vacation left, thought James when he woke up the day before school was to begin. I'm spending the whole day outside, he decided. First of all, I'll take Buster for a swim in the lake. His big, black dog loved to swim. "James! Are you awake, Son?" his mother called. "It's time to get up. You need to finish weeding the garden this morning." James had forgotten all about weeding the vegetable patch. Oh, well. If I hurry, I'll still have time to do other stuff, he thought, getting out of bed. After breakfast, James went out to the garden. Buster followed, holding a ball in his mouth. "Sorry, Buster, but I have to weed the garden," said James. Buster lay down nearby, happy to be with James even if they couldn't play. By the time James finished weeding, dark clouds were filling the sky. Soon, large raindrops began to fall, and lightning was cracking like a whip in the distance. "It's not fair that God is letting it rain on the last day of summer vacation," James complained to his mother. "I asked Him for a nice day today." Mom looked thoughtful. "This morning, didn't I see Buster take a ball out to you, hoping to play?" she asked. "I'm sure he didn't understand your reason for not doing that. But he wasn't angry, and he was too loyal to leave even when you didn't do what he wanted." "Yeah. He's such a good dog," said James as he scratched Buster behind the ear. "I wanted to take him for a swim today." "He's a good example for us, isn't he?" suggested Mom. "Shouldn't we be loyal, too? We may feel like complaining when God sends rain and we want sunshine, but we must trust that He has a reason for what He does." James sighed. "You're saying I should be loyal to God, right?" he asked. Mom smiled and nodded. "Yes, and that means trusting Him--no matter what," she said. "We can be happy knowing He loves us and wants what's best for us even when we don't understand His reasons. Okay?" "Okay," murmured James. The he grinned as he added, "Okay. I'll try to be as loyal as a dog!" How About You? Are you loyal to God when things don't go the way you want? Do you trust Him anyway, or do you complain and blame Him? Do you think God isn't fair if He doesn't give you whatever you ask for? You won't always understand why God does certain things or allows them to happen, but remember that He is God and you're only human. He knows all things--He knows what is best for you. Accept His answers and trust Him at all times. Today's Key Verse: My ways (are) higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9) Today's Key Thought: Be loyal to God; accept His way
