Waiting....waiting...waiting....

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.
Psalm 37:7

I read this verse the other morning during my Bible study time and felt that it captured my heart right now. I feel like Ryan and I are in a hard season of waiting. But waiting is always hard, right? Whether it's waiting in traffic, waiting for you Starbucks coffee, or waiting to open Christmas presents, it's hard.

Here are some things we are waiting on:

A job for Ryan. He works part time for the church but we have been hoping and praying for him to get another part time or full time job that would supplement the income he makes. As long as it has been just the two of us our income is what we need, but we both feel like it is the right choice for our family for me to stay home after I have the baby. We've been praying for a job for him for over a year now. That feels like a long time to wait. As each week passes it would be so easy for us to fall into thinking that it won't happen, but we believe it will.

Our baby. I am so very thankful that we didn't have to wait long to become pregnant. I know many people who wait for a year to concieve, and thankfully that wasn't us. Our "baby waiting" is more about waiting to know that the baby is healthy and growing strong. I would love to say that I wake up confidently every day knowing that our baby is perfect, but that wouldn't be true. Each day I pray for our baby and hope that everything is good. I know everything will probably be fine. But I find myself waiting and growing anxious between doctor's appointments. I will be so happy to hear our baby's heartbeat again next week and be assured that things are good in there.

Our home. Not knowing exactly what Ryan will be doing or what our income will look like, there is no guarantee that we will stay in our apartment. I love our apartment, but I will be okay if we have to move. As a planning mommy, I want to be able to picture how we will set up the nursery and where we will put things like a baby swing, toys, clothes, etc. For now though, I have to wait on those thoughts.

So why do we have to wait for things???????

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6

I really believe that waiting is God's way of teaching us to trust in Him. It forces us to acknowledge that we are not in control. It draws us into a deeper relationship with Him as we go to Him and share our hearts in prayer. It teaches us patience. It creates opportunities for us to step back and think, "There is no way that this could have happened without God's planning."

So instead of being frustrated or worrying (which I confess that I do struggle with), each day I am choosing to trust in God's faithfulness, be thankful for all that I already have - a wonderful husband, a baby in my belly, a safe apartment, and so much more - and find joy. I know there are people who are waiting in even more difficult situations. I believe that God has heard all of my prayers for these things over the past year and that He hasn't forgotten us. I know that believing that God has a perfect plan for us doesn't mean that our lives will be easy or that they will always turn out how we want. But that's okay. My life's purpose is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all that I do, and really everything else is just temporary.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

I know this posting was more serious, but I wanted to share it and ask that you pray for all of these things we are waiting for. I wanted to be honest and not hide the things I struggle with daily. And in time when the Lord reveals His wonderful plan for our family, I want to be able to look back and celebrate!