Josiah Day, Waiting for Baby Bird

Risking My Reputation

Elisha

Reputation 6

Today, I stood in the baby section to celebrate Josiah Day. My original plan was to grab a package of diapers, maybe even some wipes (trying to play it safe), but I accidentally went one aisle too far and found myself in the baby shoes/socks aisle. Sigh. There is something about tiny baby socks that make my heart ache something fierce. But before I could turn around to avoid a complete meltdown, these adorable newborn camouflage shoes caught my eye, and I was swooning immediately over them. I can’t even tell you how many times I picked them up, wiped a tear, put them down, wiped another tear, only to pick them back up and wipe away more tears.

Every part of me wanted to buy them and snap a cute picture to post on my Facebook page with an encouraging “put your faith in action” caption underneath. But I couldn’t. Because honestly, every time I buy something boyish due to my belief that God has promised me a son, I get scared. I can’t help but think…

What if I heard Him wrong?

But at the same time, something deep within me kept nudging me to buy the shoes. I kept hearing a whisper say, “Go for it!” And so reluctantly, I hid them underneath the lettuce in my shopping cart and proceeded to the front of the store. I kept telling myself and God all the way to the checkout lane that I couldn’t do this! After all, my reputation is at stake! I don’t want to look like a fool! But that’s when the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego flashed in my mind. In faith, these three men put their reputations on the line when they boldly proclaimed God would save them from the fiery furnace. But in reality, all the pressure wasn’t on those three men as everyone watched and waited for the outcome.

It was on God.

And as I pondered on this even more while waiting for my turn to pay, the story clicked. When we act in faith, based upon something He has written in His word or spoken to our hearts, it may seem like we are risking our reputations, and we are; but it’s really God’s reputation that is the most at stake. And the great thing is this; He loves it! He loves defending His word, His name. In fact, when we take these faith-filled risks, that’s when He can show up and show out. That’s when He can establish His reputation as a miracle-working God who fulfills His promises.

I can’t think of one story written in the Bible in which someone stepped out in faith and failed to receive their miracle. It seems to me those people God uses the most are those who are willing to risk their reputation the most. They aren’t afraid to ask Him to part the Red Sea so that they can walk right through it. They aren’t afraid to build a boat in the middle of the desert when they have never before seen rain. They aren’t afraid to fight their insurmountable circumstances, the giants in their lives, with just a slingshot and a few pebbles. They aren’t afraid to not just put their reputation but also their faith and hope on the line in order to possibly see God’s promises be fulfilled in their lives.

So today, on Josiah Day, I post this picture of these cute and oh-so-adorable camouflage shoes that I proudly proclaim in faith that God will one day fill with the precious tiny toes of a newborn baby boy. But just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said in Daniel 3:18, even if He doesn’t…even if my womb remains empty…I will not regret putting these actions (although scary) behind my words. Because I know that if I don’t take the risk, I might never witness the miracle.

Happy Josiah Day!

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

With Love

For more Josiah Day posts, click on the links below.

It’s Josiah Day

photo(16)

When Having Faith Is Hard

When Having Faith Is Hard (Blog)

Silly or Not…Here We Go!

Crib 3

Putting the Cart Before the Horse?

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

Faith in Action

Faith Onsie

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39 thoughts on “Risking My Reputation”

  3. First of all…in this day and age, camouflage can be for a boy or a girl. Second…I was in the baby department in WalMart today, too! Small world! I feel like if we don’t hold on to our hopes and dreams, what is the point of even continuing on in life? If you don’t have something to hope for, a dream to pursue, then you’re just moving along without a purpose. Hold on to your dreams, and some day they will come true. 🙂

    1. This is so true! But to me these just lean more on the side of looking a little more boyish than girlish. And girl, you are so right with needing to hope for and dream about something. I often tell myself that in the end, it’s always better to hope than live in despair! Thank you for always being an awesome source of encouragement to me! You rock, sista! ❤️

      1. You’re welcome! I’m glad I could help you out…you’ve definitely helped keep my head up on more than one occasion! <3

  4. The shoes are super cute! Your faith is so beautiful and inspiring. Believing with you for those shoes to be filled, and soon!

  6. Happy Josiah Day!! Your faith is amazing to me and something I want to strive to be more like. I just know those precious little shoes will be filled one day.

    1. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support! I have learned over time that faith is like a muscle, and the more we exercise it, the more we will build it up. So I just keep on exercising 🙂 xoxo

  8. Happy Josiah Day! I am standing beside you in faith that God will fulfill His promises of your sweet little boy. It will happen in due time and you will see that His timing was perfect. Hold firm to His promises!

    1. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your awesome support and encouragement to me today! I appreciate it far more than you will ever know! xo

  10. I feel like I’ve been following you forever (on here, FB & Instagram!), but I didn’t read your story until today. (Or maybe I did and forgot it… I have a really bad memory!) Thank you for writing that out. I have struggled lately, more so than ever before, and I am feeling very alone, even though I know I’m not. Your story & mine have so many similarities that I am not feeling as alone as I felt this morning when I was crying in my car on the way to work. Thanks for using your story to help others & to bring glory to God. xoxo Praying for you, love those shoes, and praying that it won’t be long before you meet baby Josiah. 🙂

  13. So loved this post, Elisha! Your boy will look so adorable wearing those shoes. Perfect shoes for him to stomp all over the enemy with! So proud of you for your boldness of faith.

    That whisper you heard from God is more powerful than the enemy wants you to know. Perhaps you’d like to consider this; when God created light, in Hebrew, He said two words, “Light be!” and light exploded on the scene at 186,000 miles per second! And those two words have continued to create light ever since. God added stars on the fourth day and they keep creating, new stars are being born all the time. So much so that scientist say the universe is expanding. Right now scientists say there are over 100 billion galaxies each with over 100 trillion stars. Psalms tells us God calls them all by name. God did all that with just two words. How many words did He whisper to you?

    I know believing God for something impossible isn’t easy, and I really admire your bravery. You’ve probably heard it before, but I’ve found that replacing the nagging doubts with Scriptures really helped me a lot. You are in my prayers. Praying you won’t fear, Elisha, though I know it’s tough. Jesus is with you. The same God Who gave a baby to Sarah with give a baby to you. You will hold your beautiful, healthy son, Josiah.

    There are only two things God cannot do; He cannot lie, and He cannot fail.

    “God is not like people. He tells no lies. He is not like humans. He doesn’t change his mind. When he says something, he does it. When he makes a promise, he keeps it.” Numbers 23:19 GOD’S WORD® Translation

    Be blessed Mommie 2B. I believe the 17th is Josiah’s day as well!

    1. Wow! Thank you so much for this! Your words are so faith-filled and encouraging to not only me, but all who will come across this page and read them. Hugs!! Xo

  16. Elisha, I read your post above yesterday, and it was such a perfect reminder to me about risking our reputation for the promises God has made to you and me! Just wanted to tell you, I was out running yesterday and praying, and just then, on the trail in front of me, was a perfect little camouflage boy’s shoe. I know that God was talking to me about you! He certainly made you a promise, and He always keeps His promises. 🙂

  17. We just might have been standing in the baby aisle at Walmart at the same time, thinking the same thoughts, and then both came home and blogged about it. I found your blog tonight on FB adoption group I am in. I was amazed at how similar our stories are. Many prayers for you and your husband, oh and Happy Josiah day! ♡

  18. This is the real deal. You are!

    Your faith astounds me. You encourage me to dig deeper and listen closer, never dismissing what God is saying to me. Love you friend!

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  22. My pastor encouraged us on Sunday to pray with huge faith bc God loves to show out!! I love how you said it as well. I bought our first baby item today (a bassinet on sale!) for our sweet baby in waiting.

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