God’s timing is perfect but it is rarely ours.
“For this child I prayed, and the Lord mmhas granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” 1 Samuel 1:27, 28.
Sixteen years ago we were moving to a new state, a new city and anticipating the effect it would have on our three sons. They were 18, 13 and 8 years old at the time and none of them were overly excited about leaving family and friends.
We attended a Christmas banquet that year before the move and several of the ladies were asking about our kids. I replied, jokingly, that it would make it a whole lot easier on the oldest if there were some pretty girls to entice him to make the move. Immediately they all chimed in, “You need to meet Tonya’s daughter, Rachel!” Tonya was a little overwhelmed by the sudden attention but pulled out a snapshot of her 17 year old daughter and I returned home telling Kyle that I had met someone that would be perfect for him. “Yeah, right, Mom. Not letting you pick who I date.”
Actually, Moms are smarter than they are given credit for and naturally, I kept pushing.
Kyle and Rachel just celebrated 13 years of marriage this past August! I have always called her The Little Girl I Never Had because I had written the name Rachel Lauren as my little girl’s name for years and years. (Her middle name is Lynn but I was okay with that.) Of course as you may know, none of My Three Sons seemed to fit the name, Rachel. Thankfully, we have been wonderful friends and have gotten along beautifully all of these years. She lights up any room she enters and even her brothers-in-law call her one of their closest friends.
About three years or so into their marriage, Kyle and Rachel decided to start a family. It seemed it wasn’t meant to be and for the next ten years they endured many different doctors, specialists and tests. There were so many disappointments along the way that it was difficult for them to talk about it, even to immediate family. We let them share when they wanted to but never pushed. Anyone who has experienced, or is experiencing infertility understands all of this so well.
Kyle is the worship pastor at The Experience Community in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and they do a series there called Life at the Experience. They will feature a different person or family, tell their story of how they came to the Lord or something God has done for them. Kyle and Rachel were asked to share their pain and they did it beautifully. (Go watch the short video here and come back…it opens in another window so you won’t lose your place.)
The video was so impactful and touched so many hearts. We all were thankful that they reached out and made themselves so vulnerable to help increase the faith of others.
Then, Sunday, August 2, Kyle and Rachel came to Indiana to visit. Rachel’s birthday was that week and she said she missed us and wanted to spend her birthday with all of us. We met for pizza and then went back to the house for birthday cake…
But things took an unusual turn when Kyle brought me a fancy box filled with six giant cupcakes and look what was on top!
I was so shocked I am sure Kyle and Rachel were disappointed in my reaction. The tears came later and have kept coming for weeks. I just couldn’t make sense of it; we have waited so long and were definitely not expecting to be expecting. Ecstatic is an understatement…me and The Sweetheart? We are going to be grandparents!
We have all been through things in our lives that have caused us to question. We have had unanswered prayers that didn’t make sense to us. They were good prayers; they were unselfish prayers. We were confused.
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Why did God not answer our prayers?
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Why did He make us wait?
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Why do we sometimes not seem to get an answer at all?
Consider some of these thoughts:
Maybe God is more concerned with my salvation than my comfort. The Bible doesn’t say He came to give us everything we want but He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
We know we are not the first to go through whatever it is we are experiencing. Our situation is not the worst and it isn’t the only. But of course to us it is of utmost importance. We want to fear no evil but no one wants to go through the valley if they can live on the mountain.
If He is really our God and really in control, maybe the miracle isn’t really the miracle at all. Many times people only look for what they can put in their pocket, everyone getting along, all of the planets aligning just as we need them to in our perfect world. We think that is the miracle; getting what we want.
But maybe sometimes we need to just trust Him IN the place that we find ourselves, in the here and now, where He needs us.
And ultimately, maybe our difficulty would be a testimony to others and strength to them in their weakness.
As Rachel said in the video, “God has showed us His perfect timing and His perfect will for our lives. We have learned so much of just trusting Him… If that ever includes a baby we will be thrilled but if it doesn’t….we know that He gives us joy in other ways…God has made us stronger…”
The miracle was in the trusting, not in the end product. If there had not been a baby there was still a miracle. They were made better, made stronger and given a great testimony because of the struggle, because of the pain and they ministered to others even in their sorrow.
If others see us hold on to God and keep believing, keep living for Him no matter our circumstance, they will understand what trusting God is truly about. And friend, it’s all about Him.
Have you prayed for a miracle for so long it seems out of reach? Do you feel as if God no longer hears your prayer? Maybe the answer is in the waiting, in the trusting, in the struggle itself. And maybe, just maybe, the answer is on the way. Remember, His timing is perfect…but it isn’t ours.
Update! Here is the post of Norah Jayne’s arrival!
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COngrats and what a beautiful story. You have a beautiful way of writing. thank you for sharing your story.
I found you on Friendship Friday Hop, I hope you find my blog interesting as well. Bless you all.
Charles.
Wow! Congrats on the newest addition to your family! What awesome news and…in just the right timing! It’s amazing how things big and small can happen in these ways. Recently, on a much smaller, though still important to us scale, we wanted a change for Hun and his job/work. We needed it frankly. And we thought progress was made…then a huge stall for weeks…But the final call happened right as another door may (or may not) have been opened. I commented to Hun that evening that “God sure is funny, isn’t he?”. And all I really meant is that my Higher Power’s timing is never mine and always works things out as they need to be! 🙂
Thank you Candice! We are so happy for them and to know God still answers prayer…in HIS time. ♥
Hi Floyd, I’m gonna be a grandma! Lol, thank you for your encouragement and love what you said “To see the hand of God in the difficult times is what makes them not only bearable but gives us a peace that defies the logic of the flesh.” So true! What do people do without our God? Blessings to you and your family friend. ♥
Tina, my sweet over-the-pond friend! So happy you stopped by with beautiful words, your specialty ♥ Thank you so much for your encouragement, it is your miracle too! Much love… ♥
I sure hope so Mary, I will give it my best shot of course. He does always have the best for us even when we THINK we know better 🙂
Thank you so much for your sweet words and taking the time to comment! Blessings to you!
Thank you so much Kelly. It’s always a YIPPEE for a baby announcement and we are giddy to say the least. God is still in the miracle business ♥
Wow what a gorgeous way to announce this little miracle! You have beautifully put everything into words. Congratulations!
How amazingly beautiful is that? You nailed it, well God did, but you called it perfectly by stating that either way it was a miracle. To see the hand of God in the difficult times is what makes them not only bearable, but gives us a peace that defies the logic of the flesh.
Congratulations!!! I’m happy for you and your entire family! May God continue to bless you and yours. Wonderful story that shows the sovereign hand of our Father.
Ah Nanette, my heart is singing, as tears roll down my face….I see this miracle as mine too, in a way…I remember Kyle and Rachel’s story so well and how they stayed faithful to God even when it seemed he had passed them by… but God hadn’t ….His timing is perfect and beautiful and what a miracle…Congratulations dear friend to you, the Sweetheart, and a special congratulations to Kyle and Rachel…May God continue to bless you All …such such wonderful news… Blessings and love to ALL…xxxxxxxxx
Congratulations to your kids and also to you and your husband. You will be an awesome grandmother. Your story is enriching and beautifully told. God always has the very best for us doesn’t He?
Aww. What a truly beautiful post! (i’ve got goosebumps here!)
Congratulations!!
Congratulations, Nannette! What a beautiful story! Thank you for sharing hope and truth with us 🙂 Now a squeal of delight from me over a BABY!! AAaaHHhhhah! Yippeeeee!
Sorry I would have passed the tissues!! 🙂 Life IS hard sometimes but God is always faithful. We don’t find that out without trials and suffering. Thank you for the reminder Sharon. Love to you!! ♥
Oh Hazel, we have been living with goose bumps for weeks, lol. God is good no matter what. Thank you for opportunity to share. ♥
The power of prayer IS amazing Kristi. Thank you for taking the time to comment. ♥
Thank you for stopping by Jaime! You are so right, it doesn’t stop when the babies arrive either. All for His glory. Amen. ♥
Hey Mimi! Thank you so much. I appreciate your prayers and stopping by as always. Much love! ♥
Thank you so much Mary. We are so excited we could bust…they will be terrific parents. Thank you for taking the time to comment. ♥
Thank you Holly. Always happy to have you visit. Love your words: The baby is just icing on those beautiful cupcakes! Lol! Love that! Thank you!
Thank you Tai! I appreciate you stopping by and commenting. Blessings to you and your family as well ♥
Thank you so much Pamela! A true gift from God no matter what is so true! Blessings!
Yes it is Sue! Thank you so much. I downloaded my kindle copy of War Room today ♥
Thank you so much for your sweet words and for Treasure Box Tuesday. Blessings!
Thank you B!!!! We are overjoyed to say the least and so surprised. Why are we always surprised at God? 🙂 Thank you for your sweet words and prayers. Much love. ♥
Thank you so much Kristin for taking the time to comment. Blessings to you!
Thank you Stephanie! I am trying with the other two but they aren’t cooperating, lol. Blessings on you and your sweet family. ♥
No fair – where’s my kleenex!! Oh, what a story! The marriage, the infertility, the upcoming miracle of joy! I am so happy for all of you. The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways, and His timing rarely aligns with ours. We so often question Him, when all He wants is for us to quietly and confidently trust Him. (I’m speaking to myself here…). May we never forget that He has a purpose in EVERYTHING, and though life can be very hard sometimes, there is still great comfort in His Presence.
GOD BLESS!
I literally got goose bumps when you shared how Kyle and Rachel met, married and then waited for the promise. WOW Congratulations to you all. God is good. Thanks for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.
What a wonderful post! I really enjoyed reading it Nannette. Congrats. to your son and his wife. The power of prayer is amazing, I agree. Yes, the timing is often not per our schedule but His!
Thank you for sharing Kyle and Rachel’s story. Trusting God is the only option and it doesn’t end when those little bundles of joy arrive. It only seems to intensify. He is always good in all that He does and like you said it is all for His Glory. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Nannette, being a Mimi myself, this post brought me to tears for so many reasons. Congratulations to you all!!! May God’s hand be upon this little one – bringing growth & health & His purposes to this life that He has ordained!
Beautiful story Nanette! I love how God does work in His timing and the strong faith that your son and DIL clung to through it all. I can just imagine how excited you are to become a grandma and I know there are going to be so many wonderful posts to come. So glad I stopped by to read this today.
Sue, I am so intrigued by your War Room post that I received via email yesterday. I just found the book on Amazon. Just watching the trailer made me remember what it was like when I had set a specific place aside where it didn’t matter how loud, how often or demonstrative I was. I could just pray! Thank you for that reminder. Some friends of ours have a conference every November called Call to War on the East Coast. Talk about powerful…it’s all about the War Room and calling to prayer. It is so powerful and we are going to need it in these last days. Blessings to you! ♥
What a beautiful story of love and trust and God’s provision. You are right, even without the baby, the miracle is the work of God in their lives. That baby is just icing on those beautiful cupcakes!! Congratulations, sweet friend! xoxo
Nannette, this is such a beautiful post and testimony to the goodness of our amazing GOD! Congratulations! Thanks so much for sharing! Peace and many blessings to you and your family, Love! 🙂
Aww! This is so beautiful! Babies are definitely a gift from God and a miracle, no matter what! Congratulations to you all!
The Power of prayer is mighty. Thanks for sharing!
What a lovely story! Congratulations to all of you! Thank you for sharing at Treasure Box Tuesday.
Hugs,
Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile
Yay! Woohoo, Congrats! There just aren’t appropriate words for this N! I am overwhelmed with joy for you all and it pales so greatly to what you may be feeling. You penned a beautiful take on this and I am excited that this sweet babe is so blessed with such wise and wonderful people to help lead he or she as they grow. Prayerful over this pregnancy, over growth and strength and health and grace in it all. Can’t wait to follow this and see the precious bundle. ~ B
This is beautiful! I love this. You articulate this truth so well!
What a sweet, sweet story. Thank you for sharing it. I also loved how they met! Good on you mom!! I have two little girls and am praying every chance I get to pray for their husbands. Congrats to your family!
Praying your faith is increased and your prayers answered according to God’s timing and will! Thank you so much for stopping by. Intrigued by your title above, Can We Change God’s Will? Heading over to find out! ♥
Thank you, thank you sweet friend! We are overjoyed as you can imagine. And congratulations to you all on #2!! So happy for you. ♥
What a powerful testimony on trusting God even when its painful. It sure helps to read great stories like this when you are struggling and in need of hope. What a wonderful surprise for you guys! Congratulations!
Congratulations so happy for your family. God knows what we need and when to supply it and the desires of our hearts. Love and prayers on this joyous occasion.
Infertility certainly affects the entire family Jennifer. But it can also bring them closer to one another and to our God if we allow it. I pray comfort and strength for your relatives and that God would answer their prayer in His timing. Thank you so much for visiting. ♥
Thank you so much Emily. We are excited and thrilled with this answer to prayer…He always knows what is best and we simply trust Him. ♥
Thank you Lori. Love how you said that, “whatever the answer, I will be okay.” Because He is with me, IN me and FOR me!! Blessings to you. ♥
I’m sorry for that Bonnie…removing that comment moderator is on my list of things to do today! Blessings to you for your kind words of encouragement. ♥
Thank you so much Bonnie! All of the glory belongs to our God! Thank you for your words and your visit ♥
Thank you Kelsie, His timing is perfect, always knows what is best. Thank you for visiting!
Woo hoo! Thanks Beth! We have been quiet for three weeks, anticipating a trip to the doctor to hear “All is well!” We are all so surprised and so thankful to God. Thank you for your sweet words ♥
Nanette,
What a beautifully written article! I have a family member walking through the pain of infertility. Congrats to you and your family!
His timing and His plan is always best…but that is not easy to understand or accept. The video is a beautiful testimony of their faith and trust in their Savior.
So…Wow! Congrats! God’s blessings to you and to Kyle and Rachel.
Nannette,
You approached one of life’s greatest questions so beautifully. The wait and the acceptance. Sometimes the answer is just what we envision, but sometimes it is not. But it is in the wait where we learn to still find joy and the faith to say, whatever the answer, I will be okay.
Blessings and smiles,
Lori
Congratulations to you! This is my second time trying to leave a comment. I hope it works. 🙂 What a beautiful story! I’m sorry for the long wait, but I love that you all focused on the fact that the time in the valley of waiting is what brought glory to God. Surely this new baby is part of His story and brings about His purposes, but the time when people were watching and learning more about Him was in that decade of heartache and how your son and DIL kept looking UP. I love the beauty of their announcement, but even more so, I love the strength of their faith. Blessings from #EspressosofFaith via #MeCoffeeJesus!
Congratulations! I love reading stories like this where the results aren’t what are bringing glory to God…the faith is! And surely that new baby will also be part of His story, but the waiting and the valley….they are where He brought about His purposes for that season. Blessings! Coming to you from #EspressosofFaith via #MeCoffeeJesus.
This is SO beautiful. Seriously had me in tears. God is always go good and His timing is PERFECT. Hugs your way!
You have such a great attitude about all of this and the implications of God’s answers to our prayers, Nannette. But first things first, CONGRATULATIONS! What a blessed moment for you and Doug! I bet you’re still floating on a cloud mamaw! What a cute way to announce and celebrate the news as well.