I’m Dreaming of a “Why” Christmas
I recently heard my little girl sweetly singing a Christmas carol to the top of her lungs. She had her angelic face tilted just perfectly, her eyes closed, and with all the gusto her 9 year old heart could muster, she belted out “I’m dreaming of a ‘why’ Christmas!”
There are so many, many “whys” during the holidays. The strong emphasis placed on family relationships during this time of year spotlights the whys your heart carries. Why did my baby not survive yet another chose to abort? Why do we struggle financially when other families who never tithes seem to flourish? Why is my family member sick? Why did I lose my job? Why can’t I ever conquer depression once and for all? Why won’t our adoption go through? Why does God choose to grant a healthy pregnancy to someone who calls her baby an “accident” when I have done any and every thing I can do to conceive and nothing has worked? Why? Why? Why?
Are you struggling with a “Why Christmas” this year? If so, then I encourage you to consider “Why Christmas?” Why did God give us Christmas? Imagine if you will, that an amazing miracle would occur today, and your doctor would call you and say that according to your latest test results you are perfectly pregnant. All your hormone levels are exactly as they should be and the next nine months are blissfully filled with your bulging belly and growing baby. You give birth to a perfect child and all is right with the world. You cannot believe the love your heart hold for this miracle in the flesh who has your eyes and your husband’s chin.
However, in the greatest act of love imaginable, you hand this much desired baby over to someone else! The love you hold for you baby is incomprehensible, but you know the other person will perish if you do not give them your child, and you cannot bear the thought, so with more compassion that you ever dreamed possible, you give them the gift of the baby you have desired so long. This person doesn’t even know your name, doesn’t love your baby, and really doesn’t even care that this child exists! You give your child to someone else because you know they need your baby to survive, and they don’t even realize it. They look at you as if you’ve lost your mind, and they tell you they don’t want your baby and walk away.
Can you imagine loving another person so much that you’d give your baby to them? God can.
God loves you so much, He gave His Baby to you on Christmas. He gave you His Baby because He knew you needed Him to survive. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) He knew your heart would be filled with so many “whys” this Christmas and you needed God Emmanuel, God with you. That’s why God gave Christmas.
If your heart is filled with a million “whys”, and you’re dreaming of a “why Christmas”, remind yourself of why God gave us Christmas. He loves us. He gave us His Baby. God Emmanuel. God with us. God with us through the good time. God with us in the bad times. God with us at the doctor’s offices. God with us when the periods starts and the pregnancy tests are negative. God with us through the tearful nights. God with us in good times. God with us when family celebrations are too hard. He is God with us because God gave us His Son that first Christmas night. God with us to make a way for sins to be forgiven so we can be with Him for eternity.
That is why God gave us Christmas.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
On the 4th Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of Seasons
It Came To Pass...
Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 4
452. That’s how many times the phrase “it came to pass” shows up in the King James version of the Bible! No wonder I’ve heard so many preachers expound on these Scriptures! There are so many of them! I’ve even heard a Christian comedian build an entire set around this one popular Biblical phrase--“it came to pass”!
Do you realize there is great comfort for you in this phrase--“it came to pass”? Today, it probably seems as if your life will consist of nothing more than shopping bags and jingle bells! For the next few days you will know just which stores have the best sales and which ones will open at the indecent hours before the sun even begins to consider its ascent in the sky! The insanity of the Christmas season consumes your every waking thought and most of your paycheck and it is almost unimaginable to consider a couple of weeks from now when Christmas 2009 will be a dear memory! “It came to pass...”
A problematic time is the same way. It is a season in your life. A difficult, hurtful time will not last forever. It comes into your life, and will pass into your history. God allows it to come into your life for a purpose and eventually it will be a part of the story of your life. It will be part of what has made you into the amazing woman or man you are, but believe it or not, it will eventually be a part of your history, not a part of your everyday existence! It’s so hard to see the end of the story when you are waiting for the results of a blood test or trying your best to decide where the money will come from to pay this month’s mortgage.
Hardships always seem so much more intense at Christmastime, but if you are having a problem this Christmas and it has brought you frustration and tears, remember that it is a season in your life. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. If God has appointed this time in your life to be a hard season for you, then realize that He also has an appointed time for joy in your life. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
It will not always be as hard as it is today. It came to pass... It has come into your life, but it will pass. God can use the difficulty you are facing in ways you never dreamed possible to reach you and teach you and show you amazing things about Himself. But it has come to pass. This may be your time for weeping, but your time for laughing is coming. You may have had a time for mourning, but you will dance again!
It came to pass!
Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven--
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.
Ecclesiastes 1:1, 4
452. That’s how many times the phrase “it came to pass” shows up in the King James version of the Bible! No wonder I’ve heard so many preachers expound on these Scriptures! There are so many of them! I’ve even heard a Christian comedian build an entire set around this one popular Biblical phrase--“it came to pass”!
Do you realize there is great comfort for you in this phrase--“it came to pass”? Today, it probably seems as if your life will consist of nothing more than shopping bags and jingle bells! For the next few days you will know just which stores have the best sales and which ones will open at the indecent hours before the sun even begins to consider its ascent in the sky! The insanity of the Christmas season consumes your every waking thought and most of your paycheck and it is almost unimaginable to consider a couple of weeks from now when Christmas 2009 will be a dear memory! “It came to pass...”
A problematic time is the same way. It is a season in your life. A difficult, hurtful time will not last forever. It comes into your life, and will pass into your history. God allows it to come into your life for a purpose and eventually it will be a part of the story of your life. It will be part of what has made you into the amazing woman or man you are, but believe it or not, it will eventually be a part of your history, not a part of your everyday existence! It’s so hard to see the end of the story when you are waiting for the results of a blood test or trying your best to decide where the money will come from to pay this month’s mortgage.
Hardships always seem so much more intense at Christmastime, but if you are having a problem this Christmas and it has brought you frustration and tears, remember that it is a season in your life. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. If God has appointed this time in your life to be a hard season for you, then realize that He also has an appointed time for joy in your life. There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.
It will not always be as hard as it is today. It came to pass... It has come into your life, but it will pass. God can use the difficulty you are facing in ways you never dreamed possible to reach you and teach you and show you amazing things about Himself. But it has come to pass. This may be your time for weeping, but your time for laughing is coming. You may have had a time for mourning, but you will dance again!
It came to pass!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
On the 3rd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of His Plan
Joseph
The Forgotten Member of the Christmas Story
There is no doubt you are being bombarded with everything Christmas. It’s everywhere you look! Turn on the television and there are commercials offering you the greatest bargains you could ever hope for. Decorations line the streets and radio stations blast “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. Sometimes you don’t want to rock around another Christmas tree--you just want a few moments of peace and quiet! Your heart is filled with so many questions, and in this time when our attention is turned to God’s plan for humanity, you can’t help but wonder about His plan for you. Today would be a good day to sit down with Joseph. Share a few moments with the man who adopted the Savior. The one who wiped His nose and taught Him a trade. The one whose heart must have carried as many questions that first Christmas as yours does this Christmas.
Have you ever really thought about Joseph? What he thought and felt? He knew all about a life that doesn’t go according to a plan! He thought he would marry the girl down the road, he’d build her a nice home and they’d have children--together--and they’d be like everyone else. Sound familiar? He had no idea that God had such a plan and that he would play such a role! Don’t you imagine he must have scratched his head more than once as he pondered the part he was to play in this scene? “God, why me? Why did You choose me? I don’t know if I can do this!” Can’t you see his face as he tried to get Mary settled in a stable for the birth of Jesus? “God, I’m failing You. I’m failing her. I’m failing Him. I can’t do this right. I just can’t do this. I just wanted to get married and have a family, God! I feel like such a failure!”
Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joseph so we don’t really know if he felt like this or not. We do know that he must have loved Mary, and that he trusted God with all of his heart. No matter what his exact thoughts were, he had to be amazed at the magnitude of the role he was called upon to play. I believe there were times when his calling felt too heavy, the job seemed too hard. Does yours? Especially during times when society focuses so intensely on perfect family gatherings and idyllic holiday scenarios? Think again on Joseph.
During the times Joseph must have struggled in feeling like he wasn’t doing enough for his unique family, Heaven must have smiled. Why? Because Joseph’s trusting heart was leading him down the path Heaven had planned for him. He couldn’t see the entirety of God’s plan and couldn’t understand all that he was asked to do, but his servant’s heart trusted God. He was playing a role in the events that would change not only his world, but the world.
There are times as you are called upon to trust facets of God’s plan that you do not understand, but your trusting heart may be changing someone’s world. Without plausible explanation, you know that the hours poured into a young person’s life will pay off one day whether you see the results or not. You give of your talent and your treasure to outreaches and ministry opportunities and know that the Holy Spirit will multiply your efforts and meet someone’s need through the gifts you’ve offered in His Name. Somehow, your servant’s heart keeps trusting in God and His magnificent plan for your life. And Heaven smiles because your trusting heart keeps you walking the path God has planned for you even when you cannot fully explain it.
Joseph may have winced when he looked inside that dirty, little stall where his sweetheart would labor to bring the Savior into the world. He may have thought he was doing Him an incredible injustice by not providing better. But God led him there just as He led the shepherd and the Magi there. Just as He led you to your Bible Study group, or into the care of your supportive friend or church family who loves you as you faithfully serve.
And Heaven smiles.
The Forgotten Member of the Christmas Story
There is no doubt you are being bombarded with everything Christmas. It’s everywhere you look! Turn on the television and there are commercials offering you the greatest bargains you could ever hope for. Decorations line the streets and radio stations blast “Jingle Bells” and “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”. Sometimes you don’t want to rock around another Christmas tree--you just want a few moments of peace and quiet! Your heart is filled with so many questions, and in this time when our attention is turned to God’s plan for humanity, you can’t help but wonder about His plan for you. Today would be a good day to sit down with Joseph. Share a few moments with the man who adopted the Savior. The one who wiped His nose and taught Him a trade. The one whose heart must have carried as many questions that first Christmas as yours does this Christmas.
Have you ever really thought about Joseph? What he thought and felt? He knew all about a life that doesn’t go according to a plan! He thought he would marry the girl down the road, he’d build her a nice home and they’d have children--together--and they’d be like everyone else. Sound familiar? He had no idea that God had such a plan and that he would play such a role! Don’t you imagine he must have scratched his head more than once as he pondered the part he was to play in this scene? “God, why me? Why did You choose me? I don’t know if I can do this!” Can’t you see his face as he tried to get Mary settled in a stable for the birth of Jesus? “God, I’m failing You. I’m failing her. I’m failing Him. I can’t do this right. I just can’t do this. I just wanted to get married and have a family, God! I feel like such a failure!”
Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joseph so we don’t really know if he felt like this or not. We do know that he must have loved Mary, and that he trusted God with all of his heart. No matter what his exact thoughts were, he had to be amazed at the magnitude of the role he was called upon to play. I believe there were times when his calling felt too heavy, the job seemed too hard. Does yours? Especially during times when society focuses so intensely on perfect family gatherings and idyllic holiday scenarios? Think again on Joseph.
During the times Joseph must have struggled in feeling like he wasn’t doing enough for his unique family, Heaven must have smiled. Why? Because Joseph’s trusting heart was leading him down the path Heaven had planned for him. He couldn’t see the entirety of God’s plan and couldn’t understand all that he was asked to do, but his servant’s heart trusted God. He was playing a role in the events that would change not only his world, but the world.
There are times as you are called upon to trust facets of God’s plan that you do not understand, but your trusting heart may be changing someone’s world. Without plausible explanation, you know that the hours poured into a young person’s life will pay off one day whether you see the results or not. You give of your talent and your treasure to outreaches and ministry opportunities and know that the Holy Spirit will multiply your efforts and meet someone’s need through the gifts you’ve offered in His Name. Somehow, your servant’s heart keeps trusting in God and His magnificent plan for your life. And Heaven smiles because your trusting heart keeps you walking the path God has planned for you even when you cannot fully explain it.
Joseph may have winced when he looked inside that dirty, little stall where his sweetheart would labor to bring the Savior into the world. He may have thought he was doing Him an incredible injustice by not providing better. But God led him there just as He led the shepherd and the Magi there. Just as He led you to your Bible Study group, or into the care of your supportive friend or church family who loves you as you faithfully serve.
And Heaven smiles.
Monday, December 14, 2009
On the 2nd Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me...The Gift of His Limitless Ability
Is anything too difficult for the Lord?
Genesis 18:14
For nothing will be impossible with God!
Luke 1:37
In the stories of the births of Isaac and Jesus Himself we see some similarities. Astonished parents. Surprise. A promised child. But I want to point out to you a couple of very similar and wonderful statements undoubtedly proclaimed with a twinkle in the eye of the holy messenger who was honored to share it. Go back with me to Sarah’s tent as the angel of the Lord told her at the tender young age of 89 that within one year she would finally bear the child she had craved her entire life. What was that blessed question to the dazed octogenarian? Is anything too difficult for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14) I know she laughed but I can’t help but think that the angel had to at least snicker at her expression!
Now jump ahead to the central event of mankind--the birth of Christ. Look with me as a scared young girl stares an angel in the face as he tells her she is carrying the Lamb of God in her virgin womb. What was his message to this confused young girl? For nothing will be impossible with God! (Luke 1:37)
See any similarities? Both of these statements were uttered to reassure the mothers of children who otherwise could not have been born! It took a miracle to breathe life into the womb of a 90-year-old woman and even more miracle working power to bring the Son of God into the human body of a virgin teenager! I absolutely love that God placed those two Scriptures boldly screaming out through time and eternity that nothing is too difficult for God right smack dab in the middle of these stories! Both statements were uttered in response to the conception of children! (That really speaks to me as a woman who for a time felt the sting of childlessness myself!)
Let me tattoo on your heart right now--Nothing is too hard for God! Nothing! Hallelujah! Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing is too difficult for God and He’s fighting this battle right along with you! Disease? He can heal! Financially strapped? His very Name--Jehovah Jireh--proclaims to you that He is your Provider! Lonely? He is the Creator of friendships, marriage and family! Tired? He can give you rest! Barren? He can open your womb! He is beautifully aware of every aspect of your life, knows every detail of your life and has never been overwhelmed by your need. How comforting it is to rest in the assurance that nothing is too hard for the God we serve!
Genesis 18:14
For nothing will be impossible with God!
Luke 1:37
In the stories of the births of Isaac and Jesus Himself we see some similarities. Astonished parents. Surprise. A promised child. But I want to point out to you a couple of very similar and wonderful statements undoubtedly proclaimed with a twinkle in the eye of the holy messenger who was honored to share it. Go back with me to Sarah’s tent as the angel of the Lord told her at the tender young age of 89 that within one year she would finally bear the child she had craved her entire life. What was that blessed question to the dazed octogenarian? Is anything too difficult for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14) I know she laughed but I can’t help but think that the angel had to at least snicker at her expression!
Now jump ahead to the central event of mankind--the birth of Christ. Look with me as a scared young girl stares an angel in the face as he tells her she is carrying the Lamb of God in her virgin womb. What was his message to this confused young girl? For nothing will be impossible with God! (Luke 1:37)
See any similarities? Both of these statements were uttered to reassure the mothers of children who otherwise could not have been born! It took a miracle to breathe life into the womb of a 90-year-old woman and even more miracle working power to bring the Son of God into the human body of a virgin teenager! I absolutely love that God placed those two Scriptures boldly screaming out through time and eternity that nothing is too difficult for God right smack dab in the middle of these stories! Both statements were uttered in response to the conception of children! (That really speaks to me as a woman who for a time felt the sting of childlessness myself!)
Let me tattoo on your heart right now--Nothing is too hard for God! Nothing! Hallelujah! Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing is too difficult for God and He’s fighting this battle right along with you! Disease? He can heal! Financially strapped? His very Name--Jehovah Jireh--proclaims to you that He is your Provider! Lonely? He is the Creator of friendships, marriage and family! Tired? He can give you rest! Barren? He can open your womb! He is beautifully aware of every aspect of your life, knows every detail of your life and has never been overwhelmed by your need. How comforting it is to rest in the assurance that nothing is too hard for the God we serve!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
On the first day of Christmas my True Love gave to me...
Shh! Can you keep a secret? You can’t tell! My husband’s Christmas gift has been sitting on our kitchen counter for two weeks and he doesn’t know it! It’s wrapped up in a beautiful, decorative box that is quite ornate. The uniquely shaped box he assumes to be a new Christmas decoration is actually a gift he has been hinting for for quite some time! He walks by it every day and has no idea! He stands within inches of his present and reads the mail! I have to admit, I enjoy being a little sneaky and the thought of hidden treasures makes me smile.
Do you realize that God has hidden treasures all around you today? He understands that life can take a toll on your heart--especially around the holidays--so He gives you extra measures of love. He may not have placed them in brightly colored boxes on your kitchen countertops, but they are there!
Where are these hidden Christmas gifts from God? Perhaps God has given you a measure of His love in a phone call from a friend who just called to check on you after she knew you had an important doctor’s appointment. Just the fact that she cared spoke volumes to your heart! (A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.--Proverbs 25:11) Remember your pastor’s sermon that really seemed to speak to your heart? Maybe God was being a little sneaky and placed that in your pastor’s heart just for you. How many times have you gotten an email with just what you needed for the struggle you were going through on a particular day? God had placed a hidden treasure right in front of you--right on your computer screen! Something as simple as an encouraging book you found in a Christian book store, or even a song on the radio can remind you of the love God has for you in troubling times. Perhaps you’ve never considered that encounters such as these can be more than just coincidences and could actually be hidden gifts from God to help you through the difficulties life brings!
Remember when you were a little kid? Did you sneak around the house at Christmas time, trying your best to find the Christmas gifts you knew were hidden somewhere just out of sight? Why not be like that again? Look around you for the hidden treasures of God’s love. Could that song be God’s way of reminding me that He really is Emmanuel, God with me? He won’t leave me--ever!
Who could ever be a truer love of our souls than God Himself? As we draw closer and closer to Christmas, the day we set aside to celebrate the most breathtaking Gift ever given, my heart and mind have been captivated by the multitude of undeserved gifts God has provided through the birth of His Son. Over the next 12 days, won’t you join me on a treasure hunt? Let’s slip in the stable and eavesdrop on new parents as they ooh and ahh over the sweet, tiny treasure on Mary’s lap. I can’t wait to hear Zecharias finally tell his story after months of angel-induced laryngitis! Oh the riches of his experience! Each aspect of this timeless story unwraps a precious gift straight from God’s heart to our very own.
God loves you. He’s passionate about you. He wants to show you His love for you. And when you find His gifts of love, I believe He smiles.
Do you realize that God has hidden treasures all around you today? He understands that life can take a toll on your heart--especially around the holidays--so He gives you extra measures of love. He may not have placed them in brightly colored boxes on your kitchen countertops, but they are there!
Where are these hidden Christmas gifts from God? Perhaps God has given you a measure of His love in a phone call from a friend who just called to check on you after she knew you had an important doctor’s appointment. Just the fact that she cared spoke volumes to your heart! (A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.--Proverbs 25:11) Remember your pastor’s sermon that really seemed to speak to your heart? Maybe God was being a little sneaky and placed that in your pastor’s heart just for you. How many times have you gotten an email with just what you needed for the struggle you were going through on a particular day? God had placed a hidden treasure right in front of you--right on your computer screen! Something as simple as an encouraging book you found in a Christian book store, or even a song on the radio can remind you of the love God has for you in troubling times. Perhaps you’ve never considered that encounters such as these can be more than just coincidences and could actually be hidden gifts from God to help you through the difficulties life brings!
Remember when you were a little kid? Did you sneak around the house at Christmas time, trying your best to find the Christmas gifts you knew were hidden somewhere just out of sight? Why not be like that again? Look around you for the hidden treasures of God’s love. Could that song be God’s way of reminding me that He really is Emmanuel, God with me? He won’t leave me--ever!
Who could ever be a truer love of our souls than God Himself? As we draw closer and closer to Christmas, the day we set aside to celebrate the most breathtaking Gift ever given, my heart and mind have been captivated by the multitude of undeserved gifts God has provided through the birth of His Son. Over the next 12 days, won’t you join me on a treasure hunt? Let’s slip in the stable and eavesdrop on new parents as they ooh and ahh over the sweet, tiny treasure on Mary’s lap. I can’t wait to hear Zecharias finally tell his story after months of angel-induced laryngitis! Oh the riches of his experience! Each aspect of this timeless story unwraps a precious gift straight from God’s heart to our very own.
God loves you. He’s passionate about you. He wants to show you His love for you. And when you find His gifts of love, I believe He smiles.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Would You Ever Kill Someone?
Would you kill someone?
I’m not talking about taking the life of an attacker as you are defending your own life or that of your family. I’m asking if you would ever just come right out and kill someone. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume your answer is a resounding “no”! For most of us, the idea of even hurting someone is absurd, much less taking someone’s life!
But why would you refuse to kill someone? Is it because you wouldn’t want to endure the punishment that would follow? As horrible as the punishment would be, most of us wouldn’t want to kill someone even if we knew we could escape any consequences. What is it that makes the idea of purposefully ending another person’s life so unthinkable?
A holy God handed down a commandment saying “Do not kill”. Enough said.
Do you realize this same holy God also said “Do not worry”?
Infertility places a heavy burden on your heart and your mind. You worry about whether or not you should pursue medical treatment. You worry about where the money will come from. You worry about a future without children if you are unable to conceive. You worry about a marriage placed under the strain of an empty cradle. You worry. You worry. You worry.
The same God who said “Do not kill” also said “Do not worry”.
Why does God tell you not to worry? Because He knows your future. He knows the plans He has for you, and He’s not worried. The uncertainty that infertility places before you is not puzzling to God. He knew every day of your life before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16) If His plan for you involves difficult days, He knows how to bring you through them. He also knows how to celebrate with you on joyous days. You don’t have to worry because you are never alone (Matthew 28:20), and the One who travels with you, who knows your future, is not worried.
You matter to God. God cares that your heart longs for a baby. He sees every tear that has streamed down your face when another cycle ends without a pregnancy. He understands the hurt and the frustration, yet because He is lovingly in control He can still say to you “don’t worry”.
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! Luke 12:27-28
I’m not talking about taking the life of an attacker as you are defending your own life or that of your family. I’m asking if you would ever just come right out and kill someone. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume your answer is a resounding “no”! For most of us, the idea of even hurting someone is absurd, much less taking someone’s life!
But why would you refuse to kill someone? Is it because you wouldn’t want to endure the punishment that would follow? As horrible as the punishment would be, most of us wouldn’t want to kill someone even if we knew we could escape any consequences. What is it that makes the idea of purposefully ending another person’s life so unthinkable?
A holy God handed down a commandment saying “Do not kill”. Enough said.
Do you realize this same holy God also said “Do not worry”?
Infertility places a heavy burden on your heart and your mind. You worry about whether or not you should pursue medical treatment. You worry about where the money will come from. You worry about a future without children if you are unable to conceive. You worry about a marriage placed under the strain of an empty cradle. You worry. You worry. You worry.
The same God who said “Do not kill” also said “Do not worry”.
Why does God tell you not to worry? Because He knows your future. He knows the plans He has for you, and He’s not worried. The uncertainty that infertility places before you is not puzzling to God. He knew every day of your life before one of them came to be. (Psalm 139:16) If His plan for you involves difficult days, He knows how to bring you through them. He also knows how to celebrate with you on joyous days. You don’t have to worry because you are never alone (Matthew 28:20), and the One who travels with you, who knows your future, is not worried.
You matter to God. God cares that your heart longs for a baby. He sees every tear that has streamed down your face when another cycle ends without a pregnancy. He understands the hurt and the frustration, yet because He is lovingly in control He can still say to you “don’t worry”.
Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith! Luke 12:27-28
Monday, November 16, 2009
For this child I prayed...
As women who face the daily struggle of infertility, there is no doubt the pages of our Bibles recording chapters one and two of 1 Samuel are dog-eared. We loved to read and reread the story of Hannah as she wept and prayed in the temple, crying out to God for a baby, just as we do today. We relate to her frustration, we can almost literally feel her pain and taste her salty tears. How many times have we all sat down in the dusty floor of the temple next to Hannah and wept along with her? It’s just so good to be understood by someone else who knows what it feels like to want a baby so badly, even if that understanding sister lived thousands of years ago!
Oh, how I wish there were video cameras in Hannah’s day! As much I love to read Hannah’s words, I would really love to hear her tell her story. Wouldn’t you? I’d love to hear her make her petitions to the Almighty. I’d love to see her face when she told Eli the priest that she wasn’t drunk, but heartbroken instead. Most of all, I’d want to eavesdrop when she brought her God-sent son back to the same priest and dedicated him to the Lord. I’d ask you to watch that particular video today. Then I’d ask you to watch it again and again. And again.
I’d ask you to back the video up to 1 Samuel 1:27 when Hannah held her precious baby boy in her arms and looked at the priest, Eli, and said “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted what I asked of Him...” And then I’d ask you to back it up and watch it again. And again. “For this child I prayed...” Back it up. “For this child I prayed...” Turn the volume up. “For this child I prayed...” I can’t help but believe if we could hear Hannah’s voice when she said these words, we might just hear her put her passionate emphasis on the word this. “For THIS child I prayed...”
The waiting in hard. You just want a baby. You don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, or if it’s born at the perfect time of year. You just want a healthy baby. You cry out to God with everything in you to let this month be the month. “God, please! I can’t wait another month! I’ll go crazy! Please let me get pregnant this time!” Just one baby! That’s all you ask for! But please, let it be now! Anybody who has ever gone through infertility would absolutely understand.
But listen to Hannah. “For this child I prayed.” What she didn’t realize all those years as she was weeping and crying out to God for a baby was that every single tear and every single prayer was a prayer for Samuel. Every single tear was a tear shed for Samuel. Every single prayer was a prayer prayed for Samuel. For this child I prayed. Can you imagine the first time she saw his face? It must have all come together in an instant! “Oh, I understand! It was for this child I prayed and waited! Not another! But for this child! So worth it. He was so worth it!”
If Hannah had conceived when she first desired a child, that child would not have been Samuel. There’s no way she could have realized the specific child she was praying for, but God knew. God knows your life and your future just as specifically. All the months that have passed with negative pregnancy tests are not failures. Were Hannah’s months and years without pregnancies failures? Her story resulted in Samuel! If she had conceived even one month earlier than she did, Samuel could not have been conceived and history would have been changed. “For this child I prayed...”
I believe God has a purpose and a plan for your infertility. I believe there is a reason for every single month, every single week, every single day and every single negative pregnancy test you must endure. (Jeremiah 29:11) Keep praying. Keep asking God for children. It is our prayer that one day, just as you have wept with Hannah, you will join with her in saying, “For this child I prayed and God has granted what I asked of Him.”
Oh, how I wish there were video cameras in Hannah’s day! As much I love to read Hannah’s words, I would really love to hear her tell her story. Wouldn’t you? I’d love to hear her make her petitions to the Almighty. I’d love to see her face when she told Eli the priest that she wasn’t drunk, but heartbroken instead. Most of all, I’d want to eavesdrop when she brought her God-sent son back to the same priest and dedicated him to the Lord. I’d ask you to watch that particular video today. Then I’d ask you to watch it again and again. And again.
I’d ask you to back the video up to 1 Samuel 1:27 when Hannah held her precious baby boy in her arms and looked at the priest, Eli, and said “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted what I asked of Him...” And then I’d ask you to back it up and watch it again. And again. “For this child I prayed...” Back it up. “For this child I prayed...” Turn the volume up. “For this child I prayed...” I can’t help but believe if we could hear Hannah’s voice when she said these words, we might just hear her put her passionate emphasis on the word this. “For THIS child I prayed...”
The waiting in hard. You just want a baby. You don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, or if it’s born at the perfect time of year. You just want a healthy baby. You cry out to God with everything in you to let this month be the month. “God, please! I can’t wait another month! I’ll go crazy! Please let me get pregnant this time!” Just one baby! That’s all you ask for! But please, let it be now! Anybody who has ever gone through infertility would absolutely understand.
But listen to Hannah. “For this child I prayed.” What she didn’t realize all those years as she was weeping and crying out to God for a baby was that every single tear and every single prayer was a prayer for Samuel. Every single tear was a tear shed for Samuel. Every single prayer was a prayer prayed for Samuel. For this child I prayed. Can you imagine the first time she saw his face? It must have all come together in an instant! “Oh, I understand! It was for this child I prayed and waited! Not another! But for this child! So worth it. He was so worth it!”
If Hannah had conceived when she first desired a child, that child would not have been Samuel. There’s no way she could have realized the specific child she was praying for, but God knew. God knows your life and your future just as specifically. All the months that have passed with negative pregnancy tests are not failures. Were Hannah’s months and years without pregnancies failures? Her story resulted in Samuel! If she had conceived even one month earlier than she did, Samuel could not have been conceived and history would have been changed. “For this child I prayed...”
I believe God has a purpose and a plan for your infertility. I believe there is a reason for every single month, every single week, every single day and every single negative pregnancy test you must endure. (Jeremiah 29:11) Keep praying. Keep asking God for children. It is our prayer that one day, just as you have wept with Hannah, you will join with her in saying, “For this child I prayed and God has granted what I asked of Him.”
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