Faith in Pregnancy

Good morning! Have you ever read a portion of scripture that you are exceedingly familiar with, and then the Lord reveals something profound to you? Well, I experienced that this morning. Truly, I wasn't going to write today. We leave for a 10-day vacation in less than 48 hours, and we are celebrating our family Christmas tomorrow morning. Are gifts wrapped and suitcases packed? Not even close :-) Thankfully, a precious friend and I swapped kid-sitting, and she is taking my toddler for the whole day. Thank you, Jesus! Don't forget the idea of trading babysitting...a no-cost way to get things done, or to go get a pedicure :-) I digress...

God prompted me to write about this today. Someone needs to hear it. I was reading through Luke 1 this morning, a chapter I know and love, about the pregnancies of both Elizabeth and Mary. Read through it when you have a few minutes, and take special note of the underlying theme in the first part of the chapter. Faith in pregnancy. Elizabeth was a woman "well along in years," but she became pregnant with John, the man who would lead the way for Jesus Christ. Mary, a very young woman, became pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Son of God.

How much faith do you suppose it took for both of those women to trust that God knew what He was doing? How important is the subject of infertility, faith in pregnancy, and heavenly timing to our Lord? Well, important enough for it to take center stage in the plans of getting His Son to this planet! You see, God is speaking directly to mothers in this chapter. He knows our hearts. He hears the cries from women who are desperate to be mothers. He sees the fear and uncertainty on the faces of women who are faced with unplanned pregnancies. And through these words written hundreds of years ago, the words that we read with anticipation during the Christmas season, He offers a promise to the sweet mothers of this world.

"...and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:36-37

And Mary, the mother of Christ, remembered a visit from an angel foretelling what was happening to her now. She didn't question God, she didn't remind Him that this wasn't the best time, she didn't run and hide in embarrassment. She simply remembered what He had promised, and she accepted it and rejoiced.

"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:45

I pray that these words can be a blessing to you, or someone you know today. Especially some of you who may be struggling with infertility. Don't believe for a second that pregnancy and the bringing forth of life isn't one of His priorities. He designed it as such! And, remember that His timing is always perfect. He doesn't make mistakes. I imagine He grins from ear-to-ear at the faith built in His sweet daughters during the child-bearing years. He's right there with you, my friends, whether you are longing for a child or staring at that double pink line in shock. He knows what He's doing, and you get to play a fantastic part in His eternal plan. Be blessed, mommies!

A few more pictures from our challenge :-)

Praise Jesus for antibiotics...even if it means we feel good enough to crawl on the table!

My own little baby Jesus at Christmastime!