Friday, July 16, 2010

Gentle Reminders of a Great Big God

For the three people who sometimes follow my blog, you know that my blood pressure has been an issue for almost my entire pregnancy. Well, it seems that issue may play a part in our peanut's birthday!

At my last appointment, my doctor mentioned that we may need to induce a few weeks early. Over the next two days, my mind went to my very long to-do list, and I began to feel the pressures of all my expectations rising. I had so much I wanted to do before this baby came. What if I didn't get them all done? What if my blood pressure created real health concerns for both me and the baby? What if . . .

As my jumbled thoughts went into high gear last night, I was reminded to be still.
My heart wanted to argue, "But Lord, what if people stop by our parsonage? It needs to be spotless.
And, Lord, I have so many loose ends that need to be tied. If someone else tries to step in and take care of all of them, they will become one giant jumbled knot!
And what about the health of my baby?"
Again, I remembered, "Be still."
As I began to calm my heart and ponder on Psalm 46:10, I realized that there are two commands that I need to follow.
First, I do need to be still. I need to stop all motion and craziness and busyness in my life.
But I also need to know (and accept) my God as being Who He is:
- the loving Father Who is gently forming my little one in His perfect way.
- the sovereign faithful Lord Who holds my future and my baby's future in His hands.
That verse continues with the promise that God will be exalted. His sovereign plans will be carried out, and nothing, NOTHING that happens in my life will EVER come as a surprise to Him.
For me, it is not enough just to stop fretting and be still. I must also consciously recognize and trust in my God to do what He sees best for my family.
And you know what? When I began to focus on my faithful Father, the worries stopped. The fear of uncertainty gave way to a peace, and my spirit was able to rest quietly in the faithful and trustworthy hands of my God.
So today, if your thoughts are struggling with unanswered questions and the craziness of life, take time to
"Be still and KNOW that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).

1 comment:

Rochelle said...

Great thoughts here Erin! Thanks for sharing! Praying for you & your little one!!!