Three pregnancies and two kids later, I would never claim to be an expert in having kids. In fact, I often joke to use my life as the cautionary tale of what not to do. But, I think there are some general principles for most pregnancies we could all agree upon. Once you’ve been told you’re pregnant, you make different choices; your goal becomes to do everything you can to be as prepared as you can be for the arrival of what you’ve been promised is coming. Once you’ve been told you’re pregnant, you wait ‘patiently’, but expectantly-looking for signs of confirmation along the way-for an extended period of time for the arrival of your baby. Once you’ve been told you’re pregnant, even before anyone else can physically see evidence of the new life growing inside you, you don’t doubt or question the authority of the one who told you; instead, you believe them as long as it takes until you can hold the proof of their promise in your own hands.
I wonder how many times God has promised me a miracle in my life, and I treated His promise with less authority than the man who delivered my babies? How many times has God whispered to me that He’s at work; He’s in control; He’s working EVERYTHING out for MY good and HIS glory and when I don’t see the proof immediately I doubt and don’t believe? I wonder how many times God has said, just trust me as much as you did your doctor to deliver MY promise to you? How many times has the proof of God’s miracle not arrived because He’s waiting for me to prepare in every area of my life to RECEIVE His miracle like I have for the birth of my children? How many times has my failure to take those expectant steps to receive His promise delayed the arrival of it? How many times have my doubts and actions told God I won’t..can’t..don’t believe you until I see it for myself?
If the Bible is full of God’s promises, how many times do I posture myself and my choices and my heart that reflect I believe Him as much as I demonstrate I believe my doctors? Shouldn’t the God who crafted the universe with the sound of His voice deserve at least the same amount of belief and expectant action steps on my part?
130+ days later into our journey I wonder what I’ve missed. How many times is God waiting and ready to answer my prayers, yet no sooner have the words left my mouth that I’ve stopped looking and expecting His answer? How many times have I asked you to pray on our behalf and failed to fall on my own knees and prepare to receive His answer? How many times am I not actively expecting His answer, so I miss receiving one?
130+ days later I’ve realized that the worst thing that could happen if I expectantly wait for God’s promise today is that I walk in hope. I walk in faith. I walk in peace. I walk forward throughout my day seeing ALL the ways God IS ALREADY moving in my life today, and I’ve just overlooked it before.