Monday, January 9, 2012

Wait Upon the Lord…& Update on Brock!

I usually keep it pretty light hearted on the blog, but every once in a while the Lord lays something on my heart and I think it’s important to share.  So here goes….

Patience is a virtue for sure, and it is definitely not easy to be patient (especially when you really want something).  In today’s society we are often referred to as the “microwave generation” because we are used to having everything almost instantaneously, so it is really tough for us to wait. One example that sticks out to me is people who are starting a new diet or workout regimen. Hello, we want our results IMMEDIATELY!! I worked out for a whole week, so I should have a 6 pack now, right? Yes, please. Ha!
We always hear people, songs, preachers, etc. reminding us to “wait on the Lord’s timing.” Obviously that is best, but it doesn’t make it any easier to be patient, especially when we can’t see Him working. (Ya know, that little thing we like to call FAITH…) One thing I have learned in the last few years though, is to WAIT UPON THE LORD and fully trust HIM and his timing. When we try to rush things and do them on our own time, we usually screw them up.
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a wife and a mommy.  That’s it.  (For real, even when I was in middle school that was my heart’s desire! I remember one time during an interview for a pageant I told the judges that was my life goal- haha, you should have seen the look on their faces when a 16 year old girl told them all she wanted was to “serve Jesus Christ and be a wife and mother.” I might as well have said world peace.)
I thought when I went off to school that it was my job to find a spouse for myself so I could make those dreams a reality. So I dated….a lot. Looking back, I see that was not God’s plan. Now I always teach my girls that it is NOT their job to go out and find a spouse. I truly believe that when God has someone for you that HE will put them directly in your path.  Our job is simply to remain in His will and be obedient, and he’ll take care of the rest. I really believe that.
I’m a perfect example. I played ball for 3 years in college and ended up having to have shoulder surgery before my senior year. I didn’t play my senior season and ended up coaching the local high school team where one of my players introduced me to her older brother…my hubby now, Big Jon.
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{I just might be the luckiest woman I know….I mean, seriously, look at those sideburns! Nice!!!!)

Obviously the rest is history.
2010-09-01_1421
Of course I can’t change the past, but I wish someone would have told me it wasn’t my job to go out seeking a spouse; to just be patient and WAIT on God’s perfect timing.  It sure would have saved a lot of heartache…mostly for the poor guys I dated!! Haha…

Jonathan & I dated for about 4 years and even broke up a time or two before we decided we were ready to get married.
 engagement
I was 25 when we tied the knot.  If you would have asked me a long time ago, I would have thought I would be married long before that. And we could have…I mean, four years is a long time to date someone before marriage nowadays.  Not to mention I had wedding fever something serious after going to about 756 weddings in a span of a few years.  BUT, we both wanted to wait on the Lord’s timing and until we felt like God was ready for us to take that next step. Again, He proved HIS timing was best.
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Our next step was to find a house. We started searching as soon as we got engaged, hoping to catch the big tax credit.  We looked and looked and looked, praying fervently that we would end up in the perfect house for us and exactly where God wanted us.  1 year and 2 months later (no, I am not kidding…), we FINALLY found our home. Yes, that meant living with the parentals for our first 8 months of marriage (upstairs….we didn’t even have the basement or anything cool…just two happy couples living the dream….under one roof!). Although we get along really well with my parents and loved living with them, the whole house hunting process was very stressful until the point where we found our house.  The Lord just seemed to open all doors and it was totally smooth sailing.  Our home has far exceeded our expectations and is way above anything we could have asked or imagined.
signing
{Officially becoming homeowners...)
So what’s next for us? BABIES, of course!! People don’t hound us as bad as some other couples, but I do still get asked when we’re going to start trying. Towards the end of last year I started getting some serious BABY FEVER, as you can tell if you check out my Pinterest….

We have only been married for a year and 3 months, but we talk about kids a lot and both feel like we’re ready to be parents. To be honest, my initial reaction when I started feeling ready to have babies was to ditch the birth control and get knocked up….duh!!! But after spending some time in prayer about it, we don’t feel like it’s quite the Lord’s timing for us…yet. Once again, if all of this was up to me, I would be a stay-at-home-mom with about 3 kiddos running around by now.  But that’s my plan, and not God’s. I am SO thankful HE is in control and I am not. I am even more thankful that He is doing HIS will in my life, and all in HIS perfect timing.
{Not real….I’m sure you can tell by the lumpy belly it’s a pregnancy suit I wore for a skit at school. That junk was heavy!!}

Like I said, patience is not easy, but it is considered a virtue for a reason.  God honors our patience and blesses us when we seek HIS will above our own.

I want to keep seeking the Lord so I can wait on His timing for everything…..but more than that, I want to enjoy the present. Embrace each phase and make the most of each day….because after all, “it won’t be like this for long." {Song makes me cry every time….and it’s not even really a sad song. I’m a weirdo.}

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” –Isaiah 40:31

“For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away and enjoy to the full what is promised.”- Hebrews 10:36

“But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” –Romans 8:25

“I waited patiently and expectantly for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.” –Psalm 40:1

P.S. Brock is home from the hospital! Praise the Lord!! He has a strand of viral Meningitis and it has to run its course because there are no antibiotics to cure it. Thank you so much for all the prayers, and please pray for continued healing for this sweet little boy.
brock

15 comments:

Ms. Chianne said...

Thank you so much for this post! You don't know how much I needed this today! I have really been going through it and making myself miserable because I thought that by now I should have more than what I do. I was with someone for 7 years. He was my 1st love and my plan was to be married to him by now and have babies. Well...he ended up getting someone else pregnant and marrying her on OUR wedding date! It has been a huge nightmare for me, but I know in my heart he wasn't the right man for me. Your post gives me hope that someone wonderful will come along. Thank you so much! I hope you have a wonderful day girl!

Anonymous said...

you are so inspiring. ive always wanted to be a stay at home momma too. i always thought id be married right out of college with babies a few years after. but here i am, a year out of college and no man in my life. at first it was super hard but ive found so many blessings in singleness. i still pray for my future hubs and am so excited for when God lets me meet him, but for now I get to do so many other things and He is fulfilling my needs. You are so amazing for praying and listening to the Lord's will and His timing.

And I'm so glad to hear that cute little boy is doing ok! I'll still be praying for his healing

Katie M said...

Loving this post! Isn't it funny how we just want to rush our lives to the next step? I've only recently come to be HAPPY and PEACEFUL about our life together. No kids (yet) = more fun vacations, more US time. No house (yet) = no unforseen house costs, just a monthly apt rent and a quick call to the landlord to fix everything.

God's timing is indeed perfect.

Jane {In The Pink & Green} said...

What a beautiful post! I totally understand where you're coming from and really relate to what you're saying. I so struggle with always thinking about the "next thing." When you're single, you want a boyfriend, when you have a boyfriend, you want to be married, etc. My husband and I got married almost three years ago when we were 22, and we've been moving around the country for his job which was been an amazing experience. However, at times it's tempting to obsess about when are we going to buy a house or have a baby, and I just have to stop myself because it's like this stage of life we're in now is awesome and I don't want to miss out on any of it because I'm too busy thinking about this next thing! I think it's so important (yet hard!) enjoy the stage you're at and just be contented with what's going on in your life right now instead of worrying about what will happen next. Definitely something I'm trying to work on for 2012! I love that you put in the Darius Rucker song, another one that hits home for me is Trace Adkins "You're Gonna Miss This" because it just perfectly captures that to me and I always tear up!

Thanks for the post, have a wonderful day! :)

Always Learning said...

"Now I always teach my girls that it is NOT their job to go out and find a spouse. I truly believe that when God has someone for you that HE will put them directly in your path."

Preach it, girl!!! I love this post and I wholeheartedly agree with you. God's choices are SOOOOO much better than our own.

Sweat Is My Sanity said...

Amen. I couldn't agree more. I SO wish I'd have learned this sooner...took me until about last year. :)

Lauren said...

At first when I saw this post all I saw was the picture of your fake pregnant and I thought 'WHOA i missed an entire pregnancy!' Clearly not.

This is a great post. and very timely for me to hear. Waiting is so difficult sometimes. Encouragement like this is wonderful. xx

BeckyJo606 said...

I love this post! Thanks for all of the honesty about the life stage you're in right now. I OBSESSED about getting married, but it wasn't until I put God in control of my life that I found the one I was supposed to marry!

Now that we are approaching our first year of marriage, I am getting major baby fever. I've been diagnosed with PCOS which has really made me be even more fixated on having a baby. However, I have to keep remembering that God is in control and I want things to happen in his perfect timing.

Hope you're having a great day--and thank you so much for this post!!

Anonymous said...

This post resonated with me so much! If the journey to finding my hubby, the getting married, and our latest struggle with getting pregnant/getting into law school has taught me anything is NO MATTER how much you plan, gods timing is so much better and perfect. Never in a million years could I have planned my life on this time line, and if you asked me 10 years ago if I would be here I would have laughed. But in hindsight it was perfect and I hope that teaches me to have more faith in the future when I get frustrated!

Jenn @ Bliss to Bean said...

So, so true. I want babies so bad! Sigh. I know there's a greater reason and for now, I count my daily blessings. Great song. We need to just be in the now and realize all will change eventually. :) Thanks for making me cry too...

Megan said...

Thank you so much for this post! It is just what I needed to hear today. I have been dating my boyfriend for 2 1/2 years and I constantly have wedding fever and people asking me when we will be married. But now just isn't the time and I know when God's ready he will let me know!

J. Smith x 2 :) said...

Wow Danielle!! I am beyond happy for you......I was around all of those "searching" college years.....and I think that you looking back and realizing that everything happened for a reason probably means more to you now then someone saying back then to relax and everything will happen when it's supposed too.....I mean let's be honest.....you probably wouldn't have listened and just grabbed your running rag and gone running 75 miles.....right?!?! I mean your not stubborn at all :) Hahahaha.....so glad everything is great!! LOVE!

Miss V said...

Love you love this post!! It was exactly what I needed to hear/read right about now. Also you have totally motivated me to start running, I usually hit the gym or do a dvd but I have really been enjoying my runs! I am also a teacher so have to be at school pretty early just curious what time do you run in the am? Do you run in the dark? I've always been an "after" work exerciser but really want to get motivated to do it before I start my day!! Just wondering and if you have any good "get up early tips!!" xoxoxo.

Anonymous said...

I have been with my boyfriend for almost 7 years. I think I know a little about wedding fever!! Haha. People constantly ask us when we're getting married...
I kind of giggle when people say they've been dating for a year or so and are just dying to get married right now! People change so much over time... In the time that my boyfriend and I have been together, we've seen couple start dating, get married, AND get divorced. So sad. I feel I know my guy inside and out, and we've already made it through so many tough times in life together, that I know our marriage will be amazing. It's so comforting knowing we're on the same page that we're able to live together and tolerate each other at the worst of times! We've been together since high school, and chose the educational paths. Then we bought a house. I do believe a proposal is coming soon... I've bugged him enough anyways!!

Jessica K said...

Your blog is like a breath of fresh air. I love all of your posts.. I just feel like I can totally relate to you and that you speak from the heart. :)