Hearing God's Whispers

As we approach the arrival of our sweet Anneliese Louise, I catch myself looking back on the past year and I amazed at how often God was talking to me. He's given me several verses along the way-and at the time, I didn't realize the full impact of what he was trying to tell me. Now, I think I do. Afterall, hindsight is 20/20.

Here they are (keep in mind this is me...trying to discern what God was telling me. I guess he's the only one who really knows. :)

Early on in our efforts to become parents, I heard this verse on K-LOVE one day...

Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.

Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Being a girl who has ZERO patience, this one was easy...chill out and wait for God's timing. But, it sure was hard to live by. This has actually become one of my life verses...my constant reminder of who is in control and His perfect timing.

In the Fall of 2009, when it seemed everyone and their dog was getting pregnant and I still wasn't, the Lord led me to Genesis, Chapter 3...

"I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;

in pain you shall bring forth children."

At the time, I just knew God was telling me that I would be a mother-and I guess he was, but just not in the way I thought I would be. The "pain" this verse refers to definitely wasn't physical pain for me, but emotional.

Fast forward to late Spring/early Summer 2010. Our church was doing a series on suffering and boy, did it apply to me! There were several awesome verses during this series, but the one that stuck out the most to me was...

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.", 2 Corinthians 12:9

God spent most of the Summer drilling this one into my head. I specifically remember one day last July when I cried so hard on the way home from work, I have no idea how I didn't have a wreck. The entire time, Jami Smith's song, Your Grace is Sufficient was playing. I finally started personalizing this verse, saying "Mel-my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in your weakness."

When we began our adoption process last July, I was a doubter for sure. I just didn't see how this was all going to work and how any birth mother would want us to be her baby's parents. That's when the Lord reminded me of the power of Hebrews 11:1...

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

This verse had such an impact on me that I included in the header of this blog. I had to have faith that by being obedient, God would lead us to our baby.

Most recently, the Lord has given me a peace I simply can not describe. All I know is that it is so foreign to me not to be totally worried about things I'd normally work myself into a frenzy about. The verse that keeps coming to mind lately reminds me of the pure awesomeness and sovereignty of our God...

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!" Psalm 46:10

Each one of these verses holds its own power, but together-WOW! I'm not sure how any one could read these and not believe that God is involved in every single detail of our lives.

Stay warm, friends!

~M