i've realized lately that our whole relationship has been waiting for the next thing to happen. let me explain... we've been through numerous trials. my mom was diagnosed with brain cancer the month before we got engaged, we got pregnant a month after we got married, we had our little Caroline Eloise & she was stillborn, we wanted to get pregnant again right away, we bought a house that needed too much work done on it, my mom passed away, we were ever working/living in our home/construction site, we had jude & we had a scare with the size of his head (the Dr. was concerned that it was too big, but it ended up being nothing), we got pregnant again, we had sammy & a few months later felt led to adopt (which was & is an endless journey), mike lost his job & the Lord provided through our parents, there was much uncertainty about where the Lord was leading us next, all 4 of us went to africa for 6 weeks, we got home with amos & we packed our house up & said "goodbye" to our friends & memphis (our home for 8 years) & moved to michigan, we were without a church body & close friends for 6 months while bonding with amos, then we moved to louisville.
ok... i don't say all of that to throw a pity party or to say "look at how amazing & strong we are" because we have actually been quite weak through all of this. & it is SOOOOOO good for all of us to look back on our "stories" thus far & see the goodness of the Lord & how He's sustained us.
now after going through so many trials & just now feeling like our family is coming to a place of resting & being fed & built up & a season of "circling the wagons" my tendency is to want to keep myself busy & looking toward the next big thing. but as i posted the other day i'm just learning to delight in my boys. i'm so type A & watched my mom (who was also this way) be soooooo "busy"! but is all of this busyness good or is it draining us & actually making us less effective to the glory of our Lord?
if you find yourself in this place...
"come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, andyou will find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” matthew 11:28-30
al
ps
i'd love to hear where the Lord has you!
9 comments:
I was just taking a "break" for a second before rushing off to 800 things that I need to do for this week. All the regular things, and getting ready for having church family over after worship this Sunday. Feeling the pressure. I so needed this right now. There is always so much to be done, I have five kids, am active at church and trying to keep up with this house, oh man! I need to remember to ask and go to HIM for rest. Its the only, the best rest. Bless you, friend!
we also have been through many trials, first baby while i wasn't working and hubby in school full time, then heart surgery when he was 2 weeks old, moving across the country and knowing no one, hubby going through chemo and surgery for cancer while i was pregnant with baby #2, lost job and moving back across the country. i have found myself lately feeling like i'm holding my breath for the next big trial.
those verses were so good to read this morning. to find comfort and rest in Him. i shouldn't be "bracing myself" but instead i need to take this moment of stillness and dig into His Word. to read and study so that if He brings us to another trial (which, at the moment we are in foster care class with plans to adopt) i will have a heart that is so full of His truth that it will be natural to trust and not fret. thanks for sharing today.
This is so good, Al. Thanks!
Since we lost our house and moved from Memphis to Washington and are living with my parents, I kinda feel like we are still waiting to get back on our feet- Hubby has a job but it's not paying enough for us to be able to rent a home so we're just waiting...and trusting. I've always loved this verse; it's so comforting! Thank you for the reminder to calm down and just rest in HIS goodness! :)
Thanks for your post and for being so honest with your readers. I love your blog, your heart for the Lord, your heart for adoption. I have two little adopted munchkins and hope to adopt another this year. They are at the age that requires all of me and these past few days have been especially challenging. Matt 11:28-30 is a great reminder!
Thanks.
Wow, thank you for sharing your beautiful testimony. So awesome to see how the Lord brings us through trials to make us more like Him!
I find myself leaning on that Scripture A LOT recently! I'm just 2 months into having 2 kids, and it can be SO incredibly challenging some days. Like, just so many tears--from me too! haha. But I'm finding that it really is such a perfect place to be in. Just knowing that the Lord is using these moments to shape me and grow me in Him. Ah, it's so wonderful!! :)
so good. thank you for posting.
I also know a girl who got pregnant maybe a year after she married (she married at maybe 17 years of age) and they had a stillborn daughter as well (and now have a son). Loss is a hard thing to go through when you love so much and it seems like things crumble about. The fact that you have Christ through those things is so amazing!!! I'm so glad that even though it was indeed difficult, you had faith in Christ and leaned on Him to get you through!
Right now I've been learning more and more about how great it is to trust in Him and how freeing that is!!! Also I have been learning more on patience through that trust too.
+Victoria+
thank you so much for sharing this post and opening your heart to us. Thank you so much for the reminder that God is always near when we are going through trials.
About two months ago, I experienced a miscarriage. It was a very very hard time for me. My husband had also been laid off. Leaving us without a home (bc the apartment we were renting went into forclosure).
So here we are with one income from my job. Husband w/o a job. No home. Our little precious one year old Ethan and a miscarriage.
Slowly everything was coming back to place. My mother had graciously opened her home for the three of us. The Lord had blessed my husband with a lead worship position at our church and I was able to get a part time job so that I can be home with my little boy.
The Lord has been good to us in the bad and good times.
He is worthy to be praised.
oh friends... thank u for sharing!!! He is good & sovereign & over all!!! praise be to His name!
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