Monday, May 24, 2010

Good News Monday

I usually give a recap of my hubby's sermon on Mondays but this week I want to share how his message, "What's In It for Me?" spoke to me.

Lucas said one thing that has not left my mind. Basically in life we are going to experience frustration and pain. Being a Christian does not make us exempt from disappointments and hardships however it is through difficulties that our relationship with Him grows radically. As we seek Him fervently to answer our prayers and guide us, we learn more about His character and are able to develop one that resembles His more.

If I look back at my life, I see many times that I have felt that I was going through something that was more than I could handle. One way has been our inability to become parents. We have been desiring to have our own children for quite some time now and for reasons that I am beginning to understand, God has asked us to wait. Something that seemed unfair, unreasonable and cruel . Why would God not grant me the one desire that my husband and I have? Why won't He allow us to be parents when we have so much to offer, when our entire lives are devoted to His service?

Well, I don't have all the answers but I do know that for whatever reason, God has said "not now." And I have gradually come to accept that. I know that one day, God will allow us to be parents however He deems is fitting for us (biological children or adoption or even foster care). However, I do trust that He has the BEST for us. And His best is not necessarily my idea of what is best.

I can say that through this journey God has strengthened my relationship with Him, has molded my character into that of a women who resembles Christ more and loves Him genuinely, has enabled me to heal some past wounds, has strengthened our marriage and has given us more freedom to serve Him in the church.

When I weigh the list of what God has been able to show me through this waiting period against what I feel I may have missed out on, it becomes more apparent that it has definitely been worth it. I am convinced that when He does decide to bless us with a child, there is no doubt that our baby will be loved so much more because we earnestly prayed and waited for him.

It is very likely that what you have or are experiencing is completely different from what I described. Perhaps you have been praying and waiting for a husband, or you want to go to college and due to your legal status are unable to attend school so your educational plans are on hold. Maybe you are praying for an unsaved husband. I don't know where you are at but I can assure you that whenever God asks you to wait, He wants to draw you closer to Him and He will carry you through the hardships.

We don't have to wait until God gives us what we think we want, need, or deserve to thank Him. We can do it right now. We can praise Him in the midst of the difficulty, thanking Him for developing our faith and being confident that His will is the best for us.

5 comments:

A Deacon's Wife said...

"Not now." Sometimes I think that's God's favorite answer. You are so right that the time of waiting is always an opportunity to grow in our relationship with our maker. I know God has a plan. The older I get, the more I realize that I don't always have to know what the plan is. After all, God is God, and I am not.

Thank you for sharing this part of your journey. I thank God for the blessings you receive along the way.

Stacey said...

I absolutely love this post and all that God continues to show you! One of the many lessons I've learned through years of waiting is that when we wait on the Lord and His timing, it will always be worth it. You've made so many excellent points here about how the Lord sees us through our difficulties. Thanks for sharing these with us. Praying for you as you continue to serve and trust Him!

Unknown said...

Indy, thanks for the comment over at Today's Housewife. I wanted to answer your question about how I work with the girls.

The way our youth group is set up is that we have co-ed teaching but then the girls and boys split up for discipleship groups. They are also divided by age group (middle school/high school). We have discussion, prayer time, chat time just as girls.

The photo on the TH blog was of me teaching both Middle and High school girls at a big group dinner/sleepover. I had the high school girls each take on a middle school girl as a little sister and they were responsible for inviting her to dinner, encouraging her, etc. Then I did a teaching based on Titus 2 that encouraged them to invest in each others lives rather than making excuses about why they shouldn't/or don't have to be friends with girls that are different from them.

Prior to working with the youth at our church my husband and I met in a camp ministry where we did a lot of one on one discipleship. I've found in my experience that the most fruitful ministry comes when women invest in teen girls and men invest in teen guys. It just makes sense and is Biblical.

Thanks for asking. As you can see I love to talk!

Anonymous said...

This blog spoke tons to me! It is so great to know a God that speaks to us collectively in one Spirit. Just yesterday i posted on my blog How great God is and how he always knows best for us... God is doing great things in your life's and preparing you for great things that we cannot imagine. Although we are not ever present in each others lives you are a blessing Indy! God is palpable in your words... God will provide to you in his divine timing
Jer 29:11

Tania
TaniaWithAnI.blogspot.com

The homesteadingcottage said...

I so loved and needed this post today. I just became a new followers and am so happy I found your blog! I'm in that "not now" time and have been for the last 17 years. Most of that time was spent caring for ill family members and my hopes and dreams of getting married and having children seemed to fly out the window.

Turning 40 this year has brought that longing even closer. There were opportunities, but God said, not yet...and so I continue to wait knowing that He has an awesome plan in mind. He knows the desires of my heart and I don't have to worry about all of the pieces fitting together because He's working behind the scenes. Thank you so much for the encouraging words. They mean more than you could ever imagine (:

Blessings,
Michele