I wrote about Sammy’s waiting on me as I make stop-and-go exits from the house to the car. You can read about it on Day Nine of Doggie Devotionals.

Ever since I wrote about his waiting, I have grown more aware of the quality of his waiting.

I play Rummikub four afternoons a week. Sammy instinctively knows the time to leave the apartment. Usually, I take the time to pack a bottle of water, a water dish, a muzzle, and paper towels for cleaning up after him. Sometimes he sits without any comment. Just as often, he gives a whining growl or a staccato bark.

“Stop,” I say. “I’m coming as fast as I can. Just a few seconds more.”

After several games of Rummikub, it’s time to go outside for a potty break. He usually lets me know of his needs with barks. A loyal player comments, “Just like a nagging husband!” And I respond to him by saying, “Not quite yet, Sammy. I want to finish this game.” Much like a wife’s response to a nagging husband.

However, as our time together lengthens, he frequently waits quietly, sitting, looking up at me. I’m aware of his patience, and I am grateful for it. “Thank you for your patience, Sammy. You’re such a good dog.”

Moments like this lead me to consider the meaning of patience. I’ve used that word a lot without ever consulting a dictionary. Finally, I did; and this is what I found for the adjective, patient. “Bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; steadfast despite difficulty; willing to bear.”

There’s waiting and there’s waiting with patience. There’s passing time with tedium and mounting frustration with someone who makes a habit stopping-and-going; and there’s passing time calmly, knowing that eventually the meal will be ready, the packing will be done, and the phone conversation will end.

Considering all this led me to some famous words by Shakespeare. Here I paraphrase a bit of Portia’s monologue from The Merchant of Venice. “The quality of patience is not strained/It drops as the gentle rain from heaven/ Upon the place beneath/It is twice blest, blessing him that gives and him that takes.”

He may not be human, but more and more Sammy demonstrates the quality of patience as he waits. Learning from him, I want to deepen the quality of patience to my waiting on the Lord.

How patiently do you wait upon Yahweh?