I did everything by the book.  Just like you’re supposed to.  And everything seemed to be falling into place.  You see, I enjoy the outdoors and deer hunting during this time of year, so that’s what I’m pulling from this week.  The other evening I was there in the ground blind, just waiting for the big one to come along.  My scent was covered, attractant scent was out, and I had just finished a real-sounding rattling sequence (you other hunters know what all that means; if you’re not a hunter, please bear with me).  It was then I heard the steady sound of footsteps behind me, coming through the dry leaves.  Definitely not a squirrel this time.  A few steps and a pause, then another few steps.  I dared not turn around and look.  Anyway, the way it sounded, it was going to walk right by me at about 10-15 yards.  My heart rate definitely picked up, and I was ready.  After what seemed like an eternity of suspenseful waiting, there it was.  A nice big… armadillo.  Talk about a letdown!  It sure had sounded like a deer walking, but it was just an armadillo.  I had done everything I was supposed to do, and what do I get?  An armadillo.  As I chuckled at my disappointment, a thought hit me.  Isn’t that what happens to you and me at times?  We live right, think right, believe right; in other words, we try to do everything by the book, God’s book.  Then we look for that blessing, that positive outcome; we can almost hear it coming.  But all we get is an armadillo.  And we are disappointed and perhaps even disillusioned with it all, just because we didn’t get the outcome we hoped for.  Think about it, though.  We don’t do right just to have our wishes fulfilled, we do right for God’s glory, period.  No matter the outcome.  It’s not about me and my desires anyway.  It’s about Him.  Only Him.  If our joy is tied to anything or anyone but Him, life will be tough.  There are a lot of armadillos out there, aren’t there?  Let’s just forget them and decide to do what the writer of Scripture says in Psalm 62:5.  “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him.”  Then the armadillos won’t matter.  By the way, I’ll be back in the deer woods again soon, armadillos or not!