As the Lord prepares my heart and mind to become a mom, I’ve had something on my heart for a while now that I felt I wanted to share with any pregnant ladies out there or anyone who recently had a baby during this season. I would be lying if I said that being pregnant through this time has been smooth. It hasn’t. There’s definitely been some added stress and I’ve had some anxious moments as the world feels like it’s “falling apart”.
I recently read that a celebrity is keeping her pregnancy private because, “there are more important things going on in the world right now than my pregnancy. I mean I am pregnant during a pandemic!”. I completely respect her decision to keep that very special time private and I think that’s wonderful! What made me really sad, was that somehow, I felt like she was saying this was a bad time to be pregnant. Then it got me thinking about how I’ve felt the same way in a sense. Am I the only one?
Raymond and I are in such a sweet and joyous season in our lives right now as we anticipate the birth of our first baby. We cannot wait to become parents! We’ve been praying for our daughter way before we conceived and before we even knew she was a girl. We’ve had her name picked out for years, we’ve talked about her and about future children consistently over the six and a half years we’ve been married. We feel so incredibly blessed to be experiencing this right now and to be physically healthy and in a place in our relationship where we feel she is so welcomed and longed for. There is a reason for everything that happens in our lives for us who call God Lord and as I’ve been pondering all of these thoughts, he reminded me of this verse:
6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness (peace), everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7
Everything going on in the world right now is NOT a surprise to our God. He INTENDED for me, and for you, to conceive, grow a baby and deliver during THIS TIME. In 2020. During a pandemic, during riots, during a presidential election, amidst child sex trafficking scandals, during a recession, and the list can go on and on. Allow me to say, THIS IS NOT A BAD TIME TO BE PREGNANT OR HAVE A BABY. He doesn’t make mistakes and his timing is perfect.
I am currently 23 weeks pregnant and as the weeks have gone on, the Lord truly has given us peace beyond understanding in the midst of chaos. He has exchanged anxiety, fear, and stress, for joy, trust, and calmness. The world is not falling apart, it’s falling into place. He’s always working behind the scenes and even though we may not hear about it on the news, he’s doing something good right now.
I want to encourage you to enjoy this season of your life. I know times are hard for many people and I am not choosing to be oblivious or insensitive to what’s happening in our country and around the world. I simply cannot, and will not, let this time go by and not soak it all in. This is way too good of a season to spend worrying about tomorrow and what it will look like. The world, no matter how crazy it gets, cannot take away our joy because it wasn’t given to us by the world but by a good Father.
I’ve been praying this Psalm over us lately and we’re choosing to hang on to God for dear life as we get to know him and trust him more during this time. If you’re pregnant right now, don’t feel guilty for being happy! Take a million pictures, share the excitement with the people closest to you, and trust God to complete and perfect that tiny miracle in your belly.
1-13 You who sit down in the High God’s presence,
spend the night in Shaddai’s shadow,
Say this: “God, you’re my refuge.I trust in you and I’m safe!”
That’s right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you’re perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You’ll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God’s your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can’t get close to you,
harm can’t get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they’ll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You’ll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path. 14-16 “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says God,
“I’ll get you out of any trouble.
I’ll give you the best of care
if you’ll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I’ll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!” Psalm 91
Love, Karen
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