It was July 27th, 2013 when I went to bed asking God to visit me in my dreams. To be honest, I was becoming frustrated with infertility and I wanted a vision that would give me a sign of where my life was going…something new about the promise of son I believed I heard from Him the year before. Or anything, really. As I started to doze off, I honestly believed with 100% certainty that when I awoke the next morning, I would have a vivid dream; one that would be significant and would recognize as important to the direction He was taking me. Therefore, after whispering to Him to please give me sweet dreams, I just knew within my heart that He would answer, and I was almost too excited about what He might share with me that it was hard to fall asleep.
The next morning came, and I opened up my eyes struggled to remember if I dreamed anything; anything at all. I remember my friend who is a doctor being in my dream. She talking to me about Kidneys, so maybe I should have my kidneys examined? Surely not, right? Trying to not worry (or google) if I kidney issues, I began to get ready for church. However, while I was getting “dolled up” a friend of mine sent me a text message asking which church service I would be attending. She went on to say that she had a crazy dream and she couldn’t wait to share with me. I never once thought how her dream might have been related to me asking God for a one. After all, she is notorious for being someone who has those random, off the wall dreams that she likes to share with me from time to time. Therefore,I just thought this was another one of those dreams. However, I never saw her at church that morning, but later in the day I ran into her at a birthday party. Anxious to hear her dream, I went up to her and said, “Let’s hear about this sweet dream of yours”.
She smiled, then said…
We were all in a big room (like a bounce house room) and there were TONS of kids running around, playing, screaming, and laughing and out of no where, a loud and deep voice said, “The 17th day is Josiah’s day”. (Cue me crying with huge alligator tears coming down my face!) She then continued to say that she woke up, but fell back asleep and had the exact same dream.
My friend has known about our sweet Poppa God telling me over a year ago that I would have a son, and to name him Josiah (see Our Story); but what she didn’t know was the significance the number 17 had in my life.
You see, the 17th is a day my husband and I recognize often because we “officially” began dating on January 17th, 2006. We also got married on August 17th, 2006. And I even found out that we were pregnant after fertility treatments on May 17th, 2012. Sadly, that baby never grew into my arms. Regardless, the number 17 is a very significant date in our household and my friend knew NOTHING of this; but God did. He knew.
As you can imagine, while at the birthday party I kept replaying what she had shared with me over and over in my head. I kept thinking, why didn’t I dream this? Why did she have this dream when I was the one who asked Him for it.
But that is when it hit me…
If I would have had this dream, then I would have second guessed whether it was from God. Our seven year anniversary (August 17th) was just right around the corner and my husband and I were talking just before bed about what we should do to celebrate; therefore, if God had given me this dream, I know within my heart I would have just attributed it that conversation. God knows I can have a doubtful mind and be too much of a skeptic.
I also believe He chose her, someone who knew nothing about the significance behind the number 17. If He had used someone else to convey His important message, someone who knew how important this number is in my life, then I don’t believe many people (including myself) would have attributed this sweet dream to anything else other than a coincidence. God’s ways are always perfect, and well thought out. I just love that about Him.
God’s ways are always perfect, and well thought out. This is why I smile every time I think about how He might continue to use this number in my life. He knows how much it already holds a special meaning within my heart, and I can’t stop thinking about how perfect and sweet it is of Him to continue to use it in the life of someone I can’t wait to hold someday. God is so precious, always ensuring even the smallest details that will bring me joy and keep me holding on to hope.
Numbers are significant in the Bible, and the #17 signifies “vanquishing the enemy” and “complete victory in Christ.”
I will never forget this dream that my friend had on that night, and you better believe every time I see the number 17 or it is the 17th day on the calendar, I am always looking for a miracle or special blessing from God. I don’t believe He would have sent this message if He didn’t already have a plan or purpose for it. This is why I am waiting with much anticipation, excitement, and hope to see how this number will play out in the life of my future baby bird.
I am praying that whoever reads this will have their own “sweet dreams” tonight.
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17! How exciting and what a beautiful dream. Can’t wait to see it played out in your life.
i can’t wait to see either! LOL! No matter what day I am on in my cycle I always take a pregnancy test on that date just for kicks and giggles. hehe
What a great dream! I agree with you that it was better that your friend had this dream rather than you, so you don’t question yourself. What a tender mercy of the Lord to have your prayer answered in His way 🙂
i agree! If it had been MY dream, I would have shrugged it off or second guessed it. The great thing is that she wasn’t one of my “bestest” friends at the time, so it was really random that SHE would have had this dream. God is soo good and loves to show Himself in the most amazing ways.
Yes girl, I loved this part of your testimony – so fun/exciting to read it again xoxoxox
xoxoxo
That is very awesome! I had someone else dream that I had 2 kids, a boy and a girl, so I have been holding onto that. You are right, it does mean more when someone else dreams it — keeps you accountable too!
Oh I can’t wait for you to have your boy and girl! God WILL bless you…it’s what He loves to do…He loves to bless His children. 🙂
This is amazing!! You are not crazy at all for sharing, now I just can’t wait to see what the Lord has in store for you with the 17!!
i sometimes feel absolutely crazy! LOL! I literally had the thought in the McDonald’s drive thru line today of “what the heck am i doing sharing all of this crazy information that doesn’t make sense?” But that is how God operates…He does things, when things don’t make sense…that’s why we have to use faith. Thank you for the encouragement!! It means a lot 😉
This is so cool! Also, I just looked up at my calendar and realized that today is the 17th of December. It made me smile! I can’t wait to see what God’s going to do in your life 🙂
Soooo cooll! so glad we connected…somehow, I feel it was a divine thing…
me too!!!
Okay, this might sound crazy but it is the 17th of June and I am reading your story about the 17th being a special day for you. Just seems neat to me. I have been reading your story and my heart is so blessed by what I see. As a mother myself, my heart aches for you and your husband, but at the same time, I am comforted by the knowledge that you are trusting Him with the timing. I very much intend to cover you and Daniel in my prayers. My favorite Scripture verse is Jeremiah 29:11 ” For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” I pray this verse brings you comfort as you wait. God bless you and thank you so much for allowing God to use you in such a positive and mighty way.
Valarie, thank you so much for taking the time to read 🙂 I love that verse as well and it has brought me comfort on so many occasions. I also can’t thank you enough for your thoughts and prayers. If you read my post today, you will see that today’s celebration wasn’t the same, but a celebration nonetheless.
You are in my prayers.
Just came across this one today, Elisha. LOVE it! I got goosebumps reading this post. God is soooo good! Thank you for the books. I can’t wait to start reading them :)! You are a tremendous blessing to me and all of us who gain so much from your posts and your kindness. Have a great day!!
oh so glad you got the books! YAY!! Let me know how you like them and if you need anything else!! xoxo
Oh Elisha! Your writing is such a blessing. So beautiful and touching…this post. I’m glad you went I this getaway and it exceeded your expectations. Merry Christmas, my friend.
Thanks so much sugars and Merry Christmas to you! xo
I had a dream about our future children (been dealing with IF for 3-5 years, depending on how you count) in March 2013. We chose names for our children based on that dream, but sometimes – as time goes by – it’s so hard to keep faith and I find myself wondering whether the dream was really from God or not. But this blog is a good reminder that God does speak through dreams and that I should try to renew my faith in what I dreamed.
There definitely is something divine about all this. First off, my name is Elisa — like yours without the “h.” My husband and I have been dealing with unexplained infertility and it’s been extremely difficult for me every month for many, many months now to learn that I’m not pregnant, obsessing over my calendar, Googling pregnancy symptoms, ovulation symptoms, and implantation signs, etc.
We’ve been married for 13 years this September, and we’re both non-denominational Christian.
Just to give some background, before we started dating we asked God to talk to confirm in church in the part of the “Word” if we were the right ones for each other. The Word part of the service is an unscripted part of the service which through God’s Holy Spirit God uses a brother (usually from the church ministry) to speak to all of us in service that day. Firstly a chapter/verse(s) are read from first. So before we left to go to church we prayed together and asked God that if it’s of His will that we are for each other, that God send the Word in any chapter in St. Luke — which it did, and in our difficult moments in marriage we have often reminded each other that GOD confirmed for us to be together and that we will get through anything together despite how hard it has been at times.
Going back, I’ll explain quickly the reason I chose St. Luke to confirm our marriage. I had a HUGE crush on my now husband for so long and it was bothering me because I didn’t know why I couldn’t get him out of my mind as I was dating another guy at the time. So one day at home, by myself, I prayed and asked God to give me a sign in the Bible about whether my now husband is the one for me. I opened the Bible in St. Luke 1, and when I got to verse 13, it surprised me to read this:
“But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.” Elisabeth = very similar to my name, plus “thy wife…” hmm…
I’m of Brazilian heritage and the Bible in Portuguese has the name “Isabel” as the translation for “Elisabeth” so it was something I was curious about which I pondered back and forth between my English and Portuguese Bibles. I had never noticed that before, so the fact it said “thy wife Elisabeth” instead of “Isabel” was very interesting to me. Needless to say, I broke up with the other guy I was dating at that time, and I held onto that as a confirmation, and almost a year later my now-husband “asked me out,” and I told him about my confirmation in St. Luke and we went to church together and God confirmed in the Word, it was in St. Luke c. 19.
I know this is a lot, but I’m telling you this about St. Luke for a reason. You’ll understand why later in reading.
So July 5th — exactly 30 days ago today — I went to church and a Brazilian brother called Josias (Brazilian version of Josiah) attended the service. He is our cooperator for young children service, and he is also from New Jersey like me, and he moved here, to Toronto, Canada after marrying his Canadian-Italian wife.
During the testimonies part of the service (where anybody can get up and thank God for something God has done in their life) Josias testified that he had been waiting on his papers for awhile after moving here (so he could start legally working) and God told him in the Word here to have faith because in 30 days he would receive something from God. In exactly 30 days he received the paper in the mail that allowed him to start legally working in Canada. He said he waited with all the faith that this part was for him and that God would give this to him in that 30 days.
So going back… exactly 30 days ago from today, Josias told this testimony in church of what happened to him about 16-17 years ago. Then during the part of the Word this is exactly what God said in the Word:
“Brothers, sisters: if there is someone in here that came here today and you have a disease, you have an illness in your body, do you trust in the Lord today that God can do a power, with the power of His Word he can do a work on your heart today, on your life, on your body?
God has the power, bretheren. He created this body that we carry with us. He’s the one that engineered the whole thing; he’s the one that created from the clay, from the dust of the ground. He put everything together. God has the power to remove something that may be inside of our bodies that doesn’t belong over there.
And if someone has a need today, to show the power of God in the life of someone here, God can heal something in your body that perhaps you don’t even know today that you have it.
But you will find out, and you will see the glory of God being manifested in your life. This is the God that we serve, bretheren….
If your faith has been diminished, has gotten smaller, today by this word the Lord increases the faith in your heart; that your faith may be increased, and you’re going to be walking by faith. You say, “I may not have what everyone else has, but I have the Lord Jesus Christ in my heart. I have the promises of God in my life,” that God spoke to me that evening, he visited my heart and soul that day, and I knew it was the word of God.
As the Lord gave me to say today [in testimony], when I was in need of something and God said “in 30 days you’re going to get it,” I knew for sure that that was for me and I kept that with all faith in my heart knowing that 30 days was going to come, the Lord was going to do something for me.
If you believe in the power of the word of God today, the Lord can even do unto you. 30 days he can do something to you that you are waiting and you don’t know where it’s going to come from; the Lord can make it appear.
Trust in the word of God, this is what God gives unto us this evening. The name of God be praised. Amen.”
So….just FYI, I don’t ever record the Word with an audio recorder but because I was translating the service that day to Portuguese and because I can’t retain the word easily when I translate and I was desperate to hear something from God about getting pregnant, I recorded it in the hopes God would talk with me about this.
On the drive home my husband and I both felt that this 30-day promise was for us. I left feeling 100% in faith that God will give us a baby in 30 days, but my husband later confessed he was afraid for my spiritual faith that maybe…just maybe it’s not for me, this part of the word. I got home and uploaded the audio to my computer and typed up this part of the Word so that I can hang onto it during this 30 days so that when I had any doubts I can meditate on this part. On the ride home, my husband kept telling me, “But Elisa, the 30 days time frame doesn’t work out… you just ovulated like 2 days ago…” And when I looked at the calendar and did all the math, it worked out EXACTLY to that day for my next menstruation cycle. In all the Googling I had done about getting pregnant, I never thought to look up what officially/scientifically deems a woman officially pregnant, and this is what I found on my first Google search:
“According to both the scientific community and long-standing federal policy, a woman is considered pregnant only when a fertilized egg has implanted in the wall of her uterus. Implantation (when the fertilized egg attaches to the uterine wall) typically happens seven to ten days after ovulation.”
This is what I emailed myself on July 5th:
July 18 – next expected period
July 28/29 – Ovulating + 7 days for implantation = August 4
————————————————————————————–
However, in reality I ended up getting my period earlier, on July 16, and ovulated on July 25.
So today, August 4, is the 10th day post ovulation — still in that 7-10 day time frame for implantation to occur. Today is also the 30-day cutoff in which God said that part in the Word in church.
So…Going back to the St. Luke connection, the following Sunday after that Word from July 5th, so on July 12th, my husband and I decided to ask for God to confirm if that 30-day part was for us, to send the Word in St. Luke, and it did come in St. Luke and it talked about having faith again.
Last night and today (August 4th) I got what I believe is implantation bleeding, but I tested negative on HPTs yesterday and today. It was scary because it looks a bit like what I get every month the week before my period comes. Just now I initially went online looking for pictures of what implantation bleeding looks like, and somehow through searches I came across your website.
I admit a tad bit nervous, but I’m not giving up my faith. Even if I do get my period, I have faith that God already made me pregnant because there are LOTS of women that get their period throughout their pregnancies or for some initial weeks into their pregnancy. We will see!!!
But isn’t that interesting, all the name connections and such?? Even how you have the baby “Josiah” chosen and God used a brother named Josias to tell me about 30 days…. etc.?
I believe the God we serve can do MIRACLES. Have FAITH… The God we serve is SO merciful and is SO powerful. I will be praying for God to give you your little Josiah and I know He will at the RIGHT TIME. God allows things to happen at the right time, even though sometimes we don’t understand at the time…
Sorry I wrote so much. Honestly, I never write in blogs. I’m usually very passive in that sense, I just read….but I felt like I had to say all this for some reason. God knows why.
I will not forget you in my prayers even though I never met you. You are my sister in Christ and that’s all that matters.
God bless you.
Elisa
That is just such an incredibly beautiful story revealing God’s heart for you, Elisha, as you wait for God’s gift to you of your precious baby Josiah. And what a dear treasure to be able to hold onto that dream, number 17 along with your little boys name, on the days that it is harder to hope and have faith. LOVE this
Awe! Thank you so much!!!!