Divine Plans

My friend, Emily lives in India. She is 18 weeks pregnant. When I was pregnant with Micah, she asked my opinion about beginning a family in South East Asia. I openly expressed my concerns (only after 1st expressing my enthusiasm for her interest in a baby!). They ultimately weren't about her health or the baby's, but they were about beginning this journey with her own family so far away.

Pregnancy is exciting. Definitely an experience you want to share with those closest to you. But, it's also slightly traumatic- especially your first pregnancy. With all of the literature readily available to expecting parents, it's impossible not to worry about miscarriages, gestational diabetes, eclampsia, stillbirths, and SIDS. When I was pregnant I was bombarded with fears- rational and irrational. And, even had one quick-trip to the obgyn to check on an eerily, uncommonly still Micah. During that scare, after calling Terry, the next person I called was my mom. I asked her to meet me at the hospital. It's only natural to want your mom around during stressful times, but in my case, she was also the only person in my inner-circle to have given birth (albeit over 20 years ago), and therefore my go-to-person about pregnancy.

I was worried that Emily would miss out on the same kind of support if she got pregnant over-seas. When I told her that, she said she had an awesome support group in India with her, and they had become her pseudo-family. We both trusted God, and Emily and James plunged ahead and before long were pregnant. Now, we're expecting Hazel Elizabeth Roberts less than a year after Micah's birth!

And, not only has Emily been blessed with what appears to be a tremendously supportive group, but she's also surrounded by pregnant friends who will deliver shortly before and shortly after her! Not only did God provide her with people to lean on, but he gave her a little club of pregnant women to boot!

It's got me thinking about the way God works. At the same time that God was planting the idea of a family in Emily's heart, He was doing the same to many of her friends in India. He had a plan!

Terry and I feel the same way about Micah. When we began trying to conceive, we prayed every day that God would bring us a baby according to His timetable, and not our own. And we see evidence of His perfect timing constantly. Terry and I were able to save up enough money for me to take off several months after Micah was born, and pay our medical bills in full, up front. Even Terry was able to take off for 2 weeks, and work the next few weeks from home. And, now Terry is blessed to have one day a week to work from home, which allows me to work outside of the home for one day and bring in a little extra income.

There's more to our story though. When I was 8 months pregnant, Terry and I got a call in the middle of the night that changed our lives forever. Micah's upcoming birth and our Christmas festivities were put on hold while Terry and I pulled together to face some pretty tough issues. At the time, I thought a lot about timing. Why was this happening to us right before Micah came, when our world should be all about cribs, blue blankets, snakes, and snails, and puppy-dog tails? We'd seen God's hand in other ways concerning our little family, but this seemed contradictory. In fact, it even led to me having high blood-pressure and a pre-eclampsia scare. Since then, I've gotten comfort from the scriptures. I've found comfort in the knowledge that I am never walking alone. There is truth in the scriptures, and I can depend on them, even when my own life doesn't make sense.

Last December, Terry and I grew closer than ever. By dealing with this issue together and making huge, life-altering decisions in the process, we became more of a team than ever. And, even though I didn't think it was possible, I've come to love him even more. Now that I've seen him confront such darkness, and face adversity with my and Micah's best interest at heart, I see how lucky I am to be married to someone so strong. Someone who will stand up for his convictions, someone who will look to the scriptures and trust in God's word 100% even if that means doing things the hard way. Someone who will do whatever it takes to be a good father.

So, maybe that's what God had in mind for us. I guess He knew the bond that would form from facing these demons. He knew we'd be better parents to Micah. It's wonderful to be able to trust so mightily in someone who is all-knowing and all-powerful. To me, it's like falling into a big, warm couch on a Saturday afternoon when you've got nothing to do. It's cozy and void of fear.

I am lucky to serve a God who provides for me. And I consider it a miracle when I see His hands moving in my life and in the lives of my friends and family. I'm so happy he provided Emily with a support group. If I can't be there, at least these women can!