* A Gift

First things first: The Lord is blessing us with another child. We are delighted! I am 18 weeks along and all is going well. I am learning to walk with the Lord, in faith, and I am learning to trust in Him above anything else.

Proverbs 3:5-8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him
And He will make your paths straight.
Be not wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and shun evil.
This will bring health to your body
And nourishment to your bones.

I am learning to trust Him. God gave me this child. He will keep this baby safe. He keeps me safe. I will not lean on my own understanding. I will not be wise in my own eyes.

My own wisdom and experience tells me to worry about yeast infections, athletes foot, UTIs, constipation, painful and constant Braxton Hicks contractions, painful varicose veins, headaches, stuffy nose, ligament pain, leg cramps, and more, including the increased risk of complications and abnormalities due to my maternal age (41-42).

But know this! God commands me to rejoice in Him always! He commands me, "Do not be anxious about anything!" He tells me to pray and make my petitions, with thanksgiving, and He promises me peace (Philippians 4:4-7). Fear, anxiety, and worry are not from God. I know because 1 John 4:8,16 say that "God is Love." and 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." Galatians 5:22-23 says that "the fruit of the Spirit is Love, joy, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

God tells me in Proverbs 3 that if I stop trusting in my own self to figure things out based on my own knowledge and experience, and if I put my trust in Him alone, then my body and my bones will be healthy and nourished. I have found this to be true. Indeed, my children and I are healed.

When I begin to doubt or worry, I have to remind myself what God has done for us and I begin to praise God for all that He has done! How can I doubt when He has already shown me such great love. Why would He be any different than He says He will be? God is not a man that He should change His mind (Numbers 23:19). When God wants to bless His people, He blesses them with health, fruitful crops, and babies. When He cursed His people, He allowed sickness, famine, fear, and destruction(Leviticus 26). God is good. He wants to bless us. He wants me to believe Him. I do! He wants to bless me. He does!

Ok. So we are in a spiritual battle. The Enemy does not want to lose territory. I begin to trust God and...WHAM! Morning sickness!!! Do I eat a cracker or praise God for His strength and provision? I did not have any morning sickness during the first trimester of this pregnancy, except when I gave into my own wisdom and understanding. When I trusted Him to give me strength that I might rise up on eagle's wings, I had awesome days.

I praise God for keeping me well and...WHAM! Athlete's Foot pops up on my foot, in the same place that plagued me throughout my last pregnancy!!! I said, "NO!!! In Jesus Name, NO!!!" I thank God daily that it is not going to be a problem for me during this pregnancy. The itching was minor and in a few weeks it was gone. The redness lasted for several months. Yesterday, I noticed that it is completely gone!!! Praise the Lord for what He has done! I did nothing but pray with thanksgiving.

At around 12-13 weeks...WHAM! Painful varicose veins on my right leg, in the same places where they popped up at the end of my last pregnancy!!! I prayed, but they continued to hurt, so I wear support hosiery. However, I have been walking and talking with God (literally). As I talk with Him about who He is and all that He has ever done, and as I remember all that He has done for me, I reason that He can and will heal this, too. Yesterday and today, I have had no need for the support hose. I notice the veins every now and then, but they do not hurt or really bother me. I expect that, like the morning sickness and the athlete's foot, it, too, will go completely away!  Resist the Devil and he will flee from you! Greater is He who is in me than the one who is in the world.

Oh, experience from five previous pregnancies tells me that constipation is an issue for me that leads to too many contractions which leads to fear of pre-term labor, hospital visits, and medications. So...WHAM! Constipation! Braxton Hicks contractions! Yes, as early as 15 weeks. But this I have learned, God wants me to trust in Him. When I get stressed about it, I get more constipated and I get tired and uncomfortable from contractions. When I give it up to Him and praise Him, I relax, I go, uterus relaxes, and all is well. Yes, as my constipation is being relieved, I am looking up to the heavens and I am praising God out loud!!!

I had some issues with not being able to sleep well, but now I am sleeping comfortably most every night. He says that He gives rest and sleep to those He loves. So, I ask Him for sleep.

God is my Healer! He is my Provider! He is my Savior! He is my All in All! He is my Everything! He can be your Everything, too! Ask God for faith to believe in Jesus!