Happy Labor Day

"The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!"
Psalm 118:23

"Praise be to the Lord, for he showed his wonderful love to me when I was in a besieged city. In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet, you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help. Love the Lord, all his saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord!"
Psalm 31:21-24

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!!"
Psalm 30:11-12

"He tends his flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

It's been almost one year to the day, that I discovered I was pregnant the first time. We were heading into fall, preparing for our student ministries kick-off, and welcoming a much needed change in our schedule. Life was busy and life was full. It was in the midst of that chaos that I realized something was different. I wasn't feeling well, I was pulsing with emotion, and I was so busy I hardly had time to notice. But there was a day, when everything hit me at once and suddenly I was very aware that I was not the same. I was pregnant. And Shocked. And Amazed. And Thrilled. Out of nowhere it seemed, our lives were changed, everything was different. In just a matter of hours, we were planning, dreaming, imagining, and so wrapped up in a new world, a world that involved a baby! It was a wild ride. But as the story goes, just a short time later, that baby was swept right back into the presence of Jesus, taken from us now, but waiting for us in glory. It's been a roller-coaster of a year, one that has seen many ups and many downs. We have grown closer, loved deeper, and learned much. God has been so faithful.

Now I find myself, one year later, reflecting on that time, with a much different perspective. I can immediately take myself right back to that day, and remember all the pain. Yet, the sting has lessoned. I rest in knowing that little one had great purpose in our lives and grew a few short weeks that were not in vain. And I am grateful. God did a great thing. He turned our grief into joy, our sorrow into hope. He never left us, He never abandoned us, yet He didn't give us all the answers. He's led us down a road of dependence and faith that has produced a great harvest and a deeper intimacy with Him. I have learned so much more about my Jesus this year that I wouldn't trade for anything. Even to have that little baby back. Because He knew what I needed more. I thought all I needed was to be a Mom. I thought all that would make me happy was a baby. And I thought I could find all the satisfaction I needed, in the one thing I wanted, but didn't have. Little did I know that He knew better. He saw things in me that needed to be refined. He called me out on my sin, sin that I wasn't even aware of. He rescued me from a pit that I was dangerously close to. And He did it in a way that got my attention. In his great love for me, He took the one thing I was clinging to. He let me feel the loss of something I couldn't control, someone I never knew. And in that loss, He ministered to me in a way that only He could. He helped me turn my focus back to Him, my devotion to His word, and my satisfaction in His love alone. I couldn't see that a year ago. But now I do. And because I see all that He did for me, it makes this day just a little sweeter.

This is a day I have waited upon for quite some time. This is a day I have prayed for with all my heart. This is a day He has given me and I will rejoice in it! This is the day I am happy to tell you, that I am pregnant once again! God in his mercy towards us, has granted our requests and heard our pleas and is growing a tiny little miracle in me. We are overjoyed at this little life already. We are taking every single moment in. We almost can't believe it's true! Our precious baby is around 8-9 weeks and we are marveling at this development every single day. I have much, much to tell you and I look forward to filling you in on every single detail. But today, I just want to give all praise and glory to our God. I am so grateful for this blessing, my heart is completely overwhelmed! When it seemed like this journey would never end, He chose to give us this baby in His timing and in a way that only He could get the glory for. So today, on labor day, I want to give Him all the praise. Not just for answering our hearts desire for a baby, but for knowing what was best for me and for taking me on a ride that was worth every bump in the road. Our God is so GOOD!! Our Provider, our Sustainer, our Rock, and our Peace. He is truly our Faithful Savior. It is my prayer today that this new journey would bring Him much honor, and much glory, and that I would walk worthy of Him now. Not to us, not to us O Lord, but to YOUR name be the glory!! We are rejoicing today over this little life and looking forward to April 12th with great anticipation!! Thank you for your prayers, isn't God good??



"The Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes!"
Psalm 118:23