As I sit nestled underneath my blanket, reflecting on 2016, I realize that while my number one hopeful change for the year was to grow my family by two feet didn’t happen, I am still able to smile and be thankful for all that did. And not because anything amazing took place, because let’s face it, nothing did. In fact, if I were honest, it was one of the hardest years emotionally for me. Therefore what I can smile and be thankful for is this: I made it. But not necessarily that I made it, but who I made it with. Because as much as I would like to take credit for getting through it all, I can’t. Because it was not by my strength, or hope, or ability. It was all because of Him, my Heavenly Father. He was always there, working and weaving to cause all things to come together for my good and His glory. Because looking back I see how it was Him who carried me through the intense court hearings for our foster princess. And it was His comfort that held me together during the monthly cycles that resulted in yet another negative pregnancy test. And it was Him who brought me through the moments of feeling anxious and worried about my future by giving me the strength and hope I needed to continue on. And it was nothing but Him who brought me you…my amazing cheerleaders. I know that without every single one of you supporting me, encouraging me, and praying for me, this year could have made me bitter, not better. It could have made me pitiful, not powerful. And it could have caused me to give up, not press in.
So as this year comes to a close, I say goodbye to 2016 and I look forward to the future of 2017 with a joyful and confident expectation of hope. I can’t wait to see what God has in store for me and for you in the New Year because I believe it will be nothing short of amazing. Because God is nothing short of amazing, even in the midst of hard times.
But you know, as I sit here and type that, I can’t help but feel someone reading this is doubting that He is near. And that He hasn’t abandoned them. Perhaps they have stopped praying, reading their Bible, or believing that He is good and wants to help them. Because I know how it is. When hardships hit, and trials come our way, we tend to believe our feelings more than His word. And as a result, we run away from Him. We bull up, get mad, stomp our feet and turn our backs. But let’s be real, that’s not smart. And not because He could “strike us dead”, but because He loves us. He not only wants to help us through the troubles of this world, but He is the only One who can. After all, He is the comfort we need when we are lonely. The peace we crave when we are feeling anxious. He is our source of true strength when we are weary. The answers we need to our impossible situations. The healing we are chasing after for our diagnosis. He is the great I AM. And as we choose to seek Him for what we need, we will discover that He is all we need.
So sweet friends, in this New Year, I urge each of you to make the choice to meet with Him each day; preferably in the morning before the issues of life take hold and suffocate you. You don’t want to spend so much of your 2017 trying to grow your family that you neglect, forget, or flat-out refuse to grow in your relationship with God. After all, if you don’t lead a devotional life, then you will most certainly lead an emotional one.
If you are looking for a good devotional, I highly recommend the following (all can be purchased by clicking on the link):
31 Days of Prayer During Infertility by Lisa Newton
In the Wait by Holly Holt
Jesus Today by Sarah Young
Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
A Confident Heart by Renee Swope
In Due Time by Caroline Harries
Anchored in Hope by Ali Forrest
Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child by Kathe Wunnenberg
Happy New Year from Waiting for Baby Bird
Top 15 Most Viewed Blog Posts of 2016
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And my personal favorite blog post of 2016 is…
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