But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ~ Luke 2:19
As my first pregnancy draws quickly to a close, I just wanted to write down some of the things the Lord has been showing me lately. It seems that this season is a very bittersweet one. One part of me has wished it - the back pain, the heartburn, the constant feeling of "full" - away quickly, while another part of me has been hearing the still, small voice telling me to cherish these moments. Today has been the first time in a long, long time that I have been by myself completely for the entire day, and I have felt the Lord stirring my heart to rest and reflect upon the past few months. So, I put Ron Kenoly on my Pandora station and put my feet up tonight.
This pregnancy was a surprise to us, and our lives changed forever on June 5, 2009 when we found out that we would be having a baby. My first reaction was that this was not in "our" plan. But very quickly the Lord revealed that this child was His plan. His plan may not always look the way we expect, or come in the timing we expect, but why should we put our limits on our Heavenly Father? His wisdom is far superior to mine, so why would I question His plan? I cannot see distant past to infinite future, so I trust the One Who does.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength ~ 1 Corinthians 1:25
From the minute I found out I was pregnant, I have been amazed at how much I love this child that is growing inside of me. Even more amazing to me is the fact that God loves us that much - and MORE. Then, even more amazing than that is that He loved Jesus that much, too, and sacrificed Him for US. I still don't think I fully comprehend this fact; though the process of becoming a parent certainly has opened my eyes to the enormity of this sacrifice. He loves us enough to give up His son. His SON. Incredible.
This is love - not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins... ~ 1 John 4:10
No one is going to argue with me that pregnancy is extremely difficult at times. There are many changes occurring in your body, your hormones are out of control, and life just seems ridiculous most days. However, through this time, I have learned how much I truly must rely on the Lord for strength. There were days when brushing my teeth took every ounce of energy my body had, and I was still expected to get in the car and drive an hour to work, then work 9 hours, then drive home. Even knowing the cause of my pain and I only survived those days by laying my weakness, sickness, and emotions at the foot of the cross and picking up His strength, health, and stability. My favorite verse during these times was Isaiah 58:11:
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
There were plenty of days that I did not feel like a well-watered garden or a spring whose waters never fail. Most of the time I felt like that sun-scorched land. But His Word promised that He would satisfy my needs, and would strengthen my frame. So I held onto this promise for dear life, and knew that my God would be faithful to His Word. And He was. And is. And will be.
So, here I sit, 36 weeks pregnant and fast on my way to becoming a mother "for real"... not that this baby isn't "for real", because believe me, he reminds me frequently that he is in there, for real, as in, a CHILD. Inside my belly. FOR REAL. How do people not believe in creation?
This pregnancy was a surprise to us, and our lives changed forever on June 5, 2009 when we found out that we would be having a baby. My first reaction was that this was not in "our" plan. But very quickly the Lord revealed that this child was His plan. His plan may not always look the way we expect, or come in the timing we expect, but why should we put our limits on our Heavenly Father? His wisdom is far superior to mine, so why would I question His plan? I cannot see distant past to infinite future, so I trust the One Who does.
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength ~ 1 Corinthians 1:25
From the minute I found out I was pregnant, I have been amazed at how much I love this child that is growing inside of me. Even more amazing to me is the fact that God loves us that much - and MORE. Then, even more amazing than that is that He loved Jesus that much, too, and sacrificed Him for US. I still don't think I fully comprehend this fact; though the process of becoming a parent certainly has opened my eyes to the enormity of this sacrifice. He loves us enough to give up His son. His SON. Incredible.
This is love - not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins... ~ 1 John 4:10
No one is going to argue with me that pregnancy is extremely difficult at times. There are many changes occurring in your body, your hormones are out of control, and life just seems ridiculous most days. However, through this time, I have learned how much I truly must rely on the Lord for strength. There were days when brushing my teeth took every ounce of energy my body had, and I was still expected to get in the car and drive an hour to work, then work 9 hours, then drive home. Even knowing the cause of my pain and I only survived those days by laying my weakness, sickness, and emotions at the foot of the cross and picking up His strength, health, and stability. My favorite verse during these times was Isaiah 58:11:
The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.
There were plenty of days that I did not feel like a well-watered garden or a spring whose waters never fail. Most of the time I felt like that sun-scorched land. But His Word promised that He would satisfy my needs, and would strengthen my frame. So I held onto this promise for dear life, and knew that my God would be faithful to His Word. And He was. And is. And will be.
So, here I sit, 36 weeks pregnant and fast on my way to becoming a mother "for real"... not that this baby isn't "for real", because believe me, he reminds me frequently that he is in there, for real, as in, a CHILD. Inside my belly. FOR REAL. How do people not believe in creation?
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