I’m officially saying “hello” to my third trimester with my fourth pregnancy. I’m in the home stretch now (literally)! Everything in my middle is much larger than it was just a few months ago. My body has quite astoundingly rearranged itself to make room for new life.
As my body shifts and changes to accommodate my growing child, there are other changes and accommodations taking place in my life. For instance, the way I maneuver around the bathroom counter, the way I support myself with an excessive amount of pillows while I’m sleeping, the way I bend down to pick things up, and most recently, the way I walk. I mean my womb is so stretched out now that I can no longer see (or reach) my toes very easily. Which means, I can’t always see where I’m going. It’s not always easy to navigate the landmines of my well lived in home. More often than not I’m stepping on toys or the dog (sorry, Winnie). It’s not that I’m trying to; it’s just hard to see around my roundness.
It’s very fitting that this visual of me not being able to see where I’m going is almost a direct parallel to what God’s doing in my own life right now. This year has been very unpredictable. There are so many things that have happened in the last twelve months that I wouldn’t have ever guessed would happen at all. This pregnancy, for example, was not planned and was actually something we tried to prevent. I didn’t see it coming, but God used the unexpected to create something new. Sometimes not being able to see or anticipate what’s going to happen can be frightening. So, I’ve tried to take on a new perspective in the unknown. And, that is this: If God uses the unknown, the unpredictable, and the uncertain to create something good, unexpected, and new, than why should I fear what I can’t see? “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”(2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV)
This stretching that’s taking place in my physical body is a beautiful depiction of the spiritual stretching of my faith. And, what is faith? It’s complete trust in God. It’s complete confidence in what He has planned for my life. It’s complete surrender to His will. “Faithis the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”(Hebrews 11:1 KJV)
The future may be unknown and uncertain, but I don’t have to see where my feet are going when God is leading me. “[He] is my refuge and my shield; [His] word is my source of hope”(Psalm 119:114 NLT). And, His word says that His plans are to prosper me, to give me hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). So, there really is no need for fear of the future, especially when the future is unknown to me, because He knows my future. And, His promises and His faithfulness keep me secure.
“And you will feel secure, because there is hope; you will look around and take your rest in security.” (Job 11:18 ESV)
“Surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.”(Proverbs 23:18 ESV)
”Let us hold fastthe confession of our hopewithout wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”(Hebrews 10:23 ESV)
There may be a lot of obstacles in my way. There will always be temptations to overcome and trials to walk through. But, He is always with me (Psalm 23), and He’s the best navigator I know.
“I said to myself, ‘Relax and rest. God has showered you with blessings. Soul, you’ve been rescued from death; Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears; and you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.’”(Psalm 116:8 MSG)
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