God

10
Mar
2021
Who are you Following?

Who are you Following?

Following. Watching. Being prepared.

I am now reading through the book of Numbers for my daily devotions. This morning I read, “Whether it was two days, or a month, or a longer time that the cloud continued over the tabernacle abiding there, the people of Israel remained in camp and did not set out, but when it lifted they set out. At the command of the LORD they camped, and at the command of the LORD they set out. They kept the change of the LORD at the command of the LORD by Moses.” (Numbers 9:22, 23)

You are probably familiar with this passage and knew that this was how the Israelites knew that it was time to pack up camp and move to their next destination.

Let me ask you to ponder with me what they needed to do?

  1. Always be watching. They had to always be watching for the cloud to see if it started to move. When the cloud began to move, there must have been an uproar in the camp as everyone began to spread the word, “The cloud is moving. The Lord is moving.”
  2. Always be prepared. There was no need to hang the pictures on the tent walls. No need to unpack the boxes. They might move in 2 days or a month. Hanging the pictures on the walls is always the last thing we have done when we have moved. It always has that feeling of being settled. There is some excitement in moving, but it is also nice to be settled. The Israelites were nomads for 40 years. The excitement had to have worn off and the unsettled feeling lingered for a long time. Imagine when they finally arrived in Israel. Hanging that first picture must have seemed unreal.
  3. They were always following God’s presence in the cloud. Whether a cloud of fire by night or a cloud by day. Imagine the thrill of knowing that God’s presence was watching over you as you slept and was leading you as you went. God was in a visible form for the Israelites to follow.

 

As I was reading this passage I thought about how applicable to our life it is. These 3 things the Israelites had to do are also the 3 things we need to do.

  1. Always be watching. God is always at work. “He never sleeps or slumbers.” (Psa. 121:3, 4). Too often we think that God isn’t doing anything. We don’t see Him working or moving or doing great miracles in front of us like sending manna or quail or moving as a cloud of fire in the night. God moves in different ways, and uses different means today. He also wants to use us to perform amazing things if we are willing to do it for His honor and glory, but we need to always be watching. One of my favorite books is called The Noticer by Andy Andrews. The character does not rush through life but notices things about people and then lets them know what he notices. These things help to change their lives. God wants us to be noticers. He wants us to be watching. He is always working, but are we watching how we can be working alongside of Him or are we not paying attention and working against Him. There are so many people in the world that need a Savior. There are so many people in the world that need a word of encouragement. I for one get so wrapped up on my own agenda and my own “duties” that I forget to be a noticer. I forget to watch and see where God is working so I can work alongside of Him, so I can be His hands and feet. (Mt. 28:19, 20).

Are you watching?

  1. Always be prepared. This doesn’t mean to always have your suitcase packed and all your earthly belongings in a box and ready to go. In order to be prepared we must be daily spending time with God. Spending time reading our Bibles. Spending time in prayer. Not just in the morning after we get done with our Bible reading. Not just before we eat our meals. No, all the time. We are talking about prayer in our Sunday school class. The teacher challenged us to pray through Psalm 23. I have been doing this throughout my day. It then occurred to me to pray Psalm 23 for those on my prayer list throughout my day. How is this preparing me? It is keeping my focus on God. When my focus is on God, it is not on me. When my focus is not on myself, I can better help others. See how all this ties together. Being prepared is daily meeting with the Creator of the Universe and the Savior of the World and with eager anticipation being ready for whatever comes up in my day to notice about others. Another thing that I have added to my walk with the Lord is Scripture memory. This is another way that I can be preparing.

Are you daily preparing?

  1. This is the most important part of the whole equation. Who or what are you following? The Israelites had a cloud that they followed. It was a visible representation of the Lord. They could see it. Do we struggle with following the Lord because we cannot see Him? So we find it easier to follow something we can see, or we follow what our hearts want and desire. This most often is what we end up following: our own selfish desires, or as I have talked about in previous blogs, the idols of our heart. The problem with following the idols of our hearts is that they never satisfy. We are always looking for more. As Jeremiah says the idols of our hearts are “broken cisterns that hold no water.” (Jer. 2:13). So before you think about watching and being prepared, you must first consider who you are following. If we make the decision to follow the Lord, we will be following and be satisfied by “the fountain of Living Water.” (Jer. 2:13)

Who or what are you following?

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
03
Mar
2021
The Truth of God for a Lie

The Truth of God for a Lie

I am sure you have heard someone say, “This is my truth.” Our culture has become a company of people who think that their truth is the right truth and the only truth. What does the word truth actually mean? Facts. The opposite of truth is a lie.

We can look at truth in a very simple way. The opposite of truth is a lie. So if someone steals a candy bar, what is the truth? They stole the candy bar. What is “their truth?” They didn’t steal the candy bar but rather they were hungry and had to have something to eat and the candy bar was right there so they took it and ate it without paying for it. The truth is the stolen candy bar. The lie is they didn’t steal the candy bar, they satisfied their hunger.

Bethany Christian Services came out and said that they would allow LGBTQ people to adopt children.

I have had two thoughts about this and these thoughts have been about so much that is happening in our culture today.

“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (Romans 1:25).

The truth of God can be found in the Bible. This is the only truth that does not change based on our whims and passing fancies. God is faithful and His truth is unchangeable.

Why is living our lives based on truth rather than on changing truth (lies) so important?

IT IS STABLE!

As I consider these children that grow up in homes that have 2 mommies or 2 daddies or a mom and a dad that are one day a mom and another day a dad, I felt such strong compassion for these children that are going to grow up in a home that is fraught with confusion.

Kids need and want stability.

I remember when our girls were young and I would be gone and their dad would be taking care of them. If he gave them the wrong sippy cup, their world fell apart. That was just a sippy cup.

God created the world and designed it to have a man and a women get married and have children. That was God’s design. So when we as creatures change the design there will be only confusion on the part of these children.

What happens when the truth is exchanged? Confusion.

My second thought that we as believers need to remember is that we are in a battle. I forget this most days. Most days I want life to be easy and I don’t want to be in a battle. Am I not worshipping my idol of comfort and ease of life? (See my last blog post)

“Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. …Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth…” (Eph. 6:12-14).

The families that came to this country wanted to be able to teach their children the truth of God’s Word. As we trace through our country’s history we see that so often God’s truth has been mixed with man’s truth. When we do this we are “…serving the creature not the Creator…” (Rom. 1:25).

So what must we do? Stand up for God’s truth.

Bethany Christian Services is trying to mix God’s truth – “Care for the orphans” (James 1:27) with man’s truth – a family is any 2 people who profess love for each other.

When we mix truths there is confusion.

We are in a battle, and we must with kindness and gentleness fight for the truth, God’s truth.

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 2 comments
21
Oct
2020

Even the Rocks Cry Out

Last month Dave and I did a bucket list vacation. We had never camped together before so we went “glamping.” (As our daughters fondly referred to it). We also went to the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, which we had never been to. I have lived in Michigan for 20 years and have never been to the UP so it was quite a bucket list vacation. We went to Tahquamenon Falls, Sable Falls, Pictured Rocks, the Soo Locks in Sault Saint Marie, and we stayed at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. It was a wonderful vacation and God’s Creation was magnificently on display.

Have you ever seen the stars when there is no light pollution? The sky is alive with the light from the stars. I stood and looked up in awe and amazement of the beauty and wonder of our God. I had never seen so many stars.

The thing that amazed me the most was Pictured Rocks. Pictured Rocks is in Munising and is a wonderful display of beautiful colors on Sandstone rock. The colors come from different minerals. Red and orange (iron), blue and green (copper), brown and black (Manganese), and white (limonite) are the common colors that are seen.

As I listened to the recording tell us how these colors and these rock formations were formed, all I could think about was Luke 19:40 “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” The rocks are crying out the glory of God. The rock is porous sandstone allowing for water with minerals to trickle through causing the staining. This could have only happened during the flood. This great amount of rock laid down in this way allowing for the water to flow through and displaying these beautiful colors from the minerals carried by the water could have only happened through the mighty power of an omnipotent God.

Yet, as we went on this boat tour the beauty is attributed to happening over millions and millions of years of formation. The world has been so blinded to the truth of God all around them in Creation. This year more than ever, I have viewed the beauty of the colors of fall and exclaimed out loud how beautiful God’s creation is. Do you ever praise God’s name out loud, even when you are by yourself, over the beauty of His Creation?

I then think if I am so overcome with emotion over the beauty that God has given for us to enjoy in His creation, how magnificent heaven will be. I rode my bike 20 miles this week and I started just before sunrise. The trail was awash with beautiful colors and the sun was rising giving off the beautiful colors of orange and yellow and it lit the sky. I was in awe of the beauty around me.

If that scene is so breathtaking to me, I cannot imagine heaven being better. But it will be because we will be with Jesus. Looking into the face of Jesus and being in His presence at all times will be even more magnificent.

As you go about your days, enjoy the beautiful sites that God has made for you to see. Take time to praise His name. So often I say, “Lord, do You see the beauty of these fall colors, this sunrise, these stars?” I know He sees it, but I want Him to know that I see it too and I am praising Him for it.

He made the world for us to enjoy and then praise Him for it. Do you?

If you don’t “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40).

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
27
May
2020

And the Peace of God…

I planted my garden this week. It is exciting to think about all the plants and seeds I planted and all the harvest we will be able to enjoy in the weeks and months to come. It is with eager anticipation, I walk out to my garden each day and look for the seedlings to emerge from the soil. Those few weeks of waiting for the seeds to appear is always a test in my patience. Will the seedlings actually appear? Once they do appear will the bugs or the deer eat them all?

There is one guarantee in this whole process. If I plant bean seeds, bean seedlings will appear. If I plant corn seeds, corn seedlings will appear.

We like to have guarantees. We like to know the outcome of things. We like control.

That is not the age that we are currently living in though, is it? Times are uncertain. The future is uncertain. We do not know exactly how this current crises will affect our health, our jobs, our economy, or our lives.

I have been looking at Philippians 4 over the last few weeks, and have been challenged in my walk with the Lord as I have meditated on these truths. I have found real encouragement in the truths of Scripture and I feel the need to share this knowledge with those of you who want to read what I learn. Thank-you for reading and learning with me.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Phil. 4:6, 7)

We looked last week at Philippians 4:6 and being anxious for NOTHING. The rest of the verse says we should take everything to the Lord and be thankful for it.

It is hard to be thankful for the hard situations in life: Covid-19, stay home orders, loss of job or wages, not being able to see family and friends, sickness, and even death. But yet, have you ever thought that God has given us a prescription for life?

The prescription and the result of following the prescription are given to us.

The prescription:

  1. Be anxious for Nothing
  2. But in everything by prayer and supplication-take everything to the Lord
  3. With thanksgiving
  4. Let your requests be made known to God

The result:

  1. The peace of God which surpasses all understanding
  2. Will guard your heart and your minds in Christ Jesus

 

How many of us thrive on strife? How many of us like the feeling of being anxious? God has given us the prescriptions of what we need to do so we can experience peace.

The troubles of tomorrow may not come, so why do we allow ourselves to be anxious about them?  If we do have a concern, we need to pray about it and be thankful for what God will do in the situation.

The best part of all of this is that the results are predictable. If we do what God says we will get predictable results. Just like in my garden when I plant corn seeds, I will get corn to come up. Don’t we like to know what we are going to get when we invest in something?

If we follow what God tells us to do in Philippians 4:6, we will reap the benefits that God told us about in Philippians 4:7.

Do we not want peace?

This peace is so amazing it is beyond what we can understand. We will sit back in our seats and be amazed at the peace we are experiencing because we followed God’s prescription.

The verse does not just say that we will get peace, but it also says that our hearts and minds will be guarded. What is it guarded against? If we follow the prescription, we will be guarded or protected from those feelings or thoughts of anxiety.

This result all happens in Christ Jesus.

So will you follow this prescription? No one said it’s going to be easy. Working in my garden isn’t easy, but I do so love the results. I know that there have been hard things in your life that you have done and when you finished, did you like the results?

So in the midst of all the mixed messages we are receiving daily in the news, be thankful. Pray for our leaders that they will be wise. Use these opportunities to teach your children. Show them how to live in a time of uncertainty. Then show them what the peace of God looks like.

 

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 2 comments
29
Apr
2020

I Hope in Your Word

Here we are facing more days of the “stay-at-home” order from our Michigan governor as she extends this stay home order to May 15. While I appreciate her desire to decrease the spread of the virus, I also think that the citizens of this great state understand the severity of the virus and the risk involved to each individual if one should get the virus. I see people that are careful when they go to the grocery store. People don’t get near each other. People are wearing masks. The grocery stores are cleaning like never before. We have all learned our lessons on how to prevent the spread of the virus.

During my time with the Lord each morning I spend time praying through the Psalms. I am currently in Psalm 119. I especially liked the following verses and felt like they are so applicable to us as we all face different challenges of our own. Everyone is dealing with these restrictions and struggling with them in different ways, yet God’s Word is relevant to each of us in our situation.

145With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O LORD! I will keep your statues.    146I call to you; save me, that I may observe your testimonies.  147I rise before dawn and cry for help; I hope in your  words.   148My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,  that I may meditate on your promise.     149Hear my voice according to your steadfast love; O LORD, according to your justice give me life.  150They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose; they are far from your law.  151But you are near, O LORD, and all your commandments are true. 152Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever.                                                           (Psalm 119:145-152)

As you read these verses, notice the first part of each verse in the first five verses. Life is hard. We have difficulties and challenges that seem overwhelming. We cry out to the Lord with our whole heart, we call out to God, and we are awake at night because of the challenges that face us in our lives. The author of this Psalm (probably David) knew challenges and heartaches. We have these in our lives too. Those that are facing unemployment. Those that cannot pay their bills. Those that are sick with the virus. Those that are sick with the virus and cannot work. Students who have had their school years disrupted. The list of the challenges that we all face are many. These challenges cause us to struggle emotionally because the current events and the unknown events of the future are challenging.

That is the beauty of these verses. We cannot hope in the circumstances around us. If we spend our time focused on them and worrying over them it will do nothing more than cause us to be discouraged. So what do we do?

The Psalmist says he cried out to the Lord. He asked the Lord to hear him. The last part of each of these verses then tells us what to do. Focus on God’s Word. Keep God’s laws.

This crises that we are in will not be the last crises that you will face, nor is it the first crises that you have faced. How have you handled previous crises?

Over the last year and a half I have been memorizing scripture. I have memorized Psalm 145, Daniel 9:3-19, Psalm 103, and now I am in Colossians 3:1-17. What I have found as I have committed myself to not just memorizing Scripture, but rehearsing it when I go on my walks in the morning, when I drive in the car, or when I lay down at night to sleep is my focus has changed. It has been a slow and a gradual process, but I have noticed in myself that I do not worry as much. I do not focus as much on all the negatives that happen. When something bothers me I do not hold onto the bad feelings for as long.

God’s Word via the memorization of it has transformed my heart. I understand the words that the Psalmist wrote in these verses. I have worried about things and been in turmoil over them, but then I remember God’s Word.

I challenge you during these extended days of our “stay at home” order to memorize Scripture. Do something productive rather than sit and fret over all that is wrong. Focus on what you know to always be true no matter the circumstances: GOD’S WORD.

…I hope in your Words. (Psalm 119:147)

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 2 comments
04
Dec
2019

It’s Not About What Others Say

I was in Sam’s renewing my membership and the cashier asked me for my identification. I handed her my driver’s license and that was what she needed to see that I was who I said I was. When we go to the airport and are screened by the TSA agent before going through the x-ray machine, they require our Identification and our boarding pass. They look at the picture on the id and they look at the individual to make sure they look the same. When I was at Sam’s or when any of us are at the airport, no one that is checking our identification looks to the person standing next to us to see if they corroborate with who we are. They also don’t look at who we are standing with to see if we are who we say we are. The TSA agent passes us on because our identification matches who we look like.

In life, though, how many of us get our identification from the wrong thing? We want a certain person or group of people to like us, because they are the cool kids, so we change our identity to match what they will like. We want those cool kids to see us as cool so we will be accepted and liked. We look at them as the TSA agents and want them to pass us through into coolness so we change our identities into something more hip and cool. It’s not who we really are, but we are hoping no one will notice and maybe as time goes by and our fake identity may become our new real identity.

Have you ever tried to be fake? First of all, it’s exhausting, and second of all someone is going to see through the fake to the real and then you’re in worse shape than you were before.

In this age of confusion over our identities, where do we look to gain who we are supposed to be? How do we not get confused or lost or even disillusioned? The real question is what is the source of our truth?

Our days in school as an elementary, Jr. High, High School, and college student so often impact our self- image or our identity. We get made fun of for our hair or our clothes or that idiosyncrasy we have. We get called stupid or goody too shoes or ugly. So many kids in school are poor and can barely afford clothes to wear to school so other kids make fun of them for this. So often as a young child our identity is stamped into our hearts and minds by all the circumstances of life.

Too often, the unkindness of others molds us into who we think we are. Rather than looking at our identification for who we really are, we look around at who everyone else says we are. The hurtful remarks of others damage our hearts and some have never recovered. They will forever see themselves as ugly or weird or stupid, and they will forever be trying to change that image of themselves.

Here is a truth that we all need to cling to and live by: God made each and every one of us unique and different. I used to tell our daughters all the time, “if you were all the same, I wouldn’t need 2 of you-we have 3 daughters.” God made us all different and unique for a reason.

If we are putting a puzzle together and every piece is cut the same with the same part of the picture on it, how well would the puzzle go together? If we were all fingers, who would pump the blood to us so we could get the oxygen we need.

The Bible is the only source of truth. So many other things change, but the Bible does not change. Who we are needs to be based on who God says we are, not on who everyone in the world says we are. The world and its opinions change, but God never changes. (Heb. 13:8). Look at clothing styles, hair styles, car styles, home décor…it all changes to what is the latest style.

God never changes! What He says about who you are will never change as long as you are His child.

When we board the plane, we feel safe that only those people on the plane are the ones who should be on the plane. There is also a feeling of safety and security when we see ourselves through the lens of Scripture and who God says we are.

You are who God says you are!

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
20
Nov
2019

The Truth about Our Identity

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion these days on an individual’s identity. According to Merriam Webster, identity is “the distinguishing character or personality of an individual.” We could call this a vague and even secular definition to our identity.

As a Christian, our identity must be viewed differently. According to Sam Allberry, “As a Christian, one of the key things for me is realizing that identity as Christians is not something that we discover in ourselves, nor is it something we create. It’s something we receive and are given by the only person who can know our actual identity, which is the God who made us. So my identity as a Christian comes from the fact that I’ve been created by God and redeemed by him through the saving work of Jesus.”

If only we could get this message out to the world and they would understand it and apply it to themselves. Too often people are searching for who they are. They are looking inside themselves to figure out who they are. This thinking is skewed by our sinful nature for who we are is not determined by what is inside of us, but by what God says about who we are.

It is so easy to be swayed by our feelings. They can be rascally creatures. They change and sometimes are not based on reason, but rather on misconstrued “facts.” The Bible speaks to this in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, who can know it?” Our hearts can so easily deceive us, and with deception comes an instability. The antonym or opposite of deceit is truth or honesty.

If our hearts are full of untruth or deceit, than we must have something that we can turn to that is full of truth. That is God and His Word. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb. 13:8). In other words, Jesus never changes. While Jesus was on the earth, He said “sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17). As Christians, we are set apart by truth, and the best place actually the only place to find truth is in the Bible.

When an individual looks to themselves to find truth, they will get deceit. When an individual looks to God’s Word for truth, they will get truth.

Our world seems to be spiraling out of control in regards to our identity as humans and where this identity comes from. This stems from a lack of knowledge and confusion on where their identity comes from. It also comes from a disregard for God and His Word.

“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.” (I Cor. 14:33). Since God does not author confusion, we know that this comes from the enemy. When a person is confused about who they are, it is the work of the enemy, Satan, not the work of God.

As parents, it is extremely important to give our children and any other children we may be working with a firm foundation of who they are according to God and His Word. We will explore these topics in future blogs. It is important to establish a basis of truth with our children. The enemy will attack them. He will seek to destroy them in whatever way possible. It always starts very small and in a very insignificant way, so as parents we must be on guard to protect our children and their hearts.

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 0 comments
19
Jun
2019

Words for the Bride and Groom

On June 14, 2019, Danielle and Aaron were married. It was a beautiful and God honoring day. These are the words that I shared with them during the reception.

 

Family and Friends, thank-you so much for coming and making this day in the lives of Danielle and Aaron so special. You all have had a part in these two becoming the people that they are today. Thank-you for your part in their lives.

On November 30, 1991, Dave and I were married. After our good friend, Eric Mounts, pronounced us husband and wife, Dave and I walked out of the auditorium and into the foyer. At that moment, Dave started crying. I had never seen him cry before and I thought, “What’s wrong? Does he not want to be married?.” I have come to find out that Dave cries only at the big events in our lives, weddings, graduations, and I cry at all the little events in between.

Aaron and Danielle,

This has been a wonderful first day in your life together as husband and wife. Your marriage ceremony was God honoring and very worshipful, just as God meant for it to be as a symbol of our marriage as the church to Christ. Thank-you for leading us in worship during your beautiful wedding ceremony.

Aaron, we have been praying for you for 22 years. We didn’t know who God would send into Danielle’s life, but we knew the kind of young man we wanted God to send. We have been praying for a young man who loved God with his heart, his soul, his mind, and all his strength. We have been praying for a young man who would be a gentleman and a gentle leader for this special daughter of ours. We have been praying for someone who is kind, thankful, respectful, and thoughtful, a hard and dedicated worker who will provide for Danielle, and someone who follows Christ no matter the circumstances in life.

You, Aaron, are that answer to our prayers. Thank-you, Dan and Resa, for raising this wonderful young man. Aaron, we are so excited to welcome you into our family. Being the oldest like Danielle, you are also the guinea pig. Being in-laws is new for us, but we will happily practice on you. We may try to convert your allegiance, but if you remain an Ohio State fan we will still love you. We never want to take the place of your parents, but we would be honored if you would now call us “Dad and Mom.”

Danielle, what a treasure you are to our family. We have been preparing for this next chapter in your life for 22 years. I have tried to teach you how to cook, how to clean, how to work hard, how to care for your family, and most of all how to serve and love our Savior. I have not always done everything right, but it has been a joy to raise you and nurture you. Remember our first conversation about boys. We talked about how important it was to save your heart for that right young man. You were 12 when we had that conversation. My goal has been to model and teach to you how to be “virtuous woman who is far above rubies” taken from one of my favorite passages in Scripture, Proverbs 31. So we went and got your ears pierced and I gave you ruby earrings to help you remember how important that was. When you were 16, we went to the Dodge house and talked more about boys and what you should look for in a husband and made a list of the those qualities. We also talked about how important purity was. For about 8 weeks, we sat on the back veranda of the Dodge house and every time we sat there I reminded you that you were a princess and how valuable you were. We gave you a ruby ring to again remind you how important purity of heart and body is and also to once again remind you that “your value is far above rubies.”  It has been fun to look at your pink fuzzy notebook and see the list of qualities you wanted in your future husband. Aaron, you have all those qualities, even the blue eyes.

Just last week, Danielle, we had another conversation about being a virtuous woman and I gave you a ruby necklace. The next step is for you to not only be a virtuous woman but also a virtuous wife. “Your value is above rubies.”

Aaron and Danielle, as you start this next lifelong chapter in your lives, remember how much your family loves you. We are always here for you. Aaron, as you love Danielle like Christ loves the church she will be as Solomon says “a crown to her husband.”

Posted by ddykema5@gmail.com in The Seasons of Motherhood, 1 comment
19
Mar
2019

The Mom Option

My story

I remember standing in my bedroom in front of my desk when I was in high school, and having this thought, “I don’t think I can be a very good mom if I decide to go to school to be a medical doctor. I think I will go to school to be a nurse.” So I went to school to be a nurse. Granted, I had considered also being a teacher, but at this stage of my life I couldn’t explain how to cross the street so teaching did not seem like an idea of a good time.

My mom was a stay-at-home-mom, and that seemed to me to be the only way I could be a good mom. Granted, I did not want to stay home and be barefoot and pregnant for 20 years. I kind had it figured in the back of my head that once I sent the sweet little bundles of joy off to school, I would re-enter the job market and have a career. So I continued to prepare for this moment.

A few years into our marriage, I went back to school to get a Masters in Nursing.

Shortly after I started my Masters, my husband told me he was ready to start a family. I was far from ready. I wanted to finish my degree and maybe even get a job with my new found level of education. No part of me wanted to be pregnant and have a baby that I was responsible for. The dog at that time was enough.

Doesn’t God know us better than we know ourselves? Not long after that conversation and with graduation in the near future, I told my husband I was ready to have a baby.

God’s Story

So I waited. Then I prayed. And I still waited.

Pretty soon my good friend who had gone to school to be a medical doctor called to tell me she was pregnant. I asked the Lord how come I couldn’t get pregnant. I had given up on a dream to be a doctor so I could be a mom.

Now my friend was going to be doctor and a mom. Life seemed so unfair. So I struggled with the Lord. Spent much time in prayer and pleading.

Five months later, God in His goodness allowed me to get pregnant. I know many have struggled with a much longer wait. Many have struggled and still have not become pregnant. I cannot understand that depth of hurt and struggle.

I do know God gave me a test. It seems that all the tests I had taken to get through nursing school and grad school were acceptable, but a test from God…Don’t we question what He is doing?

So I became a mom after I graduated from grad school. I was a master’s prepared mom. My babies did not seem to care how much education I had. All they cared about was if I was going to meet their needs.

God’s Plan

You may be struggling with if you are ever going to get pregnant. God has a plan. He may be testing you. God may be reminding you that His timing is better than your timing. He may also have you on this road for a long time.

What I know is that God loves us. He wants to give us the desires of our hearts, but sometimes those desires are not what He sees as the best desires.

Share your story. Share the burden of your heart and let others help you carry it. Lay your burden at the feet of Jesus and let Him carry it. After all, He loves you so much He sent His son for you.

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