Archive for Relationship with Others

When God’s Best “Seems” Like the Worst

As a married woman who believes couple at oddsthat God gave me His best when He gave me my husband, I’d be lying if I said that situations have never risen to challenge that belief. There have been those tough moments after a disagreement or after something didn’t go my way that I pondered very briefly if God’s choice was the right choice because of the way things “seemed”. And I’m willing to bet that I’m not the only one who can relate to these bouts of doubt, now am I?

First let’s deal with some semantics. The word “seem” means to give the impression or the sensation of being something or having a particular quality. A simple impression is not always based in truth and every sensation you feel is not always reliable. In other words, things aren’t always as they appear, looks can be deceiving, and feelings change like the wind. So major life decisions like ending a marriage should not be determined by such things. The mastermind behind the scenes is none other than our adversary, the devil. Satan wants nothing more than to kill your faith, steal your joy, and ultimately destroy your relationship through doubt and what “seems” to be the state of your marriage but isn’t. He is totally against marriage done God’s way (according to the Bible), which is why he’s always sticking his nose in married folks business to try and start confusion. If he doesn’t have anything concrete to use as an agitator, he will use you to get to your spouse or use your spouse to get to you. He will inject negative thoughts and suggestions into your mind about your spouse. I believe that is why many Christian marriages fail. One or both parties falls prey to satanic deception and ends up forfeiting the relationship God intended to be a blessing to them. Even if you weren’t in the center of God’s will when you married your spouse, if you love God he promises to work all things, even a perfectly imperfect marriage, together for your good. That’s the wonder of His grace.

The best advice I can give you if you find yourself questioning God’s best is to drive the doubt out! Doubt in a nutshell is a lack of faith and whatever is not of faith is sin according to the Word of God. Sin has this sneaky little way of not letting you enjoy the blessings of the Lord because it takes us out of fellowship with Him. Don’t let him do it. Remember, “the blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it”. What the Lord gifts us with is supposed to add to and grow us as a person. Sometimes growth is uncomfortable, but it should never be painful or grievous to the point of misery. So if you are feeling sorrowful in your marriage, it ain’t God’s doing. Recognize your real enemy and his attack to pervert every God thing in your life, starting with your marriage.

This is not to say that there aren’t instances where the dissolution of a marriage is not warranted such as unresolved or unchecked abuse or infidelity. I am referring to those navigable molehills that seem like impassable mountains; those small foxes that destroy the vine of a loving relationship; those straws that if not dealt with properly end up breaking the camels back. Only you know what those things are in your house. If you recognize them today you can be more strategic in thwarting satan’s plan to use them against you tomorrow.

Heaven Sent Me an Angel

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Gabriel and I after delivery.

“Are you ready to hear your baby cry?” asked the doctor from behind the hospital curtain that separated me from her, the surgical team, and my newborn baby–a routine procedure during a cesarean birth.

The previous feelings of fear of the unknown: the pain of contractions, spinal anesthesia, and being fully conscious during the surgery were replaced with new feelings of anticipation at the thought of hearing my son’s voice for the first time. And then I heard it, the sweet, long-awaited cry. It was actually more of a wail, but it was still the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.

I was already in tears from the first brief glimpse of his little french vanilla colored body as she lifted him over the blue barrier, so his cries made my tears flow even more.  That’s my baby, is all I could think and murmur to myself while my husband and the neonatal nurse cleaned him up and prepared him for skin-to-skin contact with his mama.

As soon as my husband brought him over to me, more tears poured.

“Say something to him,” he encouraged me.

“I can’t,” I said through my sobs. The intense emotion was so overwhelming, and I had never felt that way before.

Then our cheeks met. I managed to speak to him for the first time face-to-face. “Hey, Gabriel. This is your mommy, and I love you,” I said. I longed to hold him, but I was still on the operating table getting stitched up. I finally knew the meaning and the feeling of love at first sight.

And eight weeks later in spite of all the late night feedings (I’m an eight hours of sleep kind of gal), the loud crying (not used to being around babies as an only child), and the pull on my time, attention, and finances (again I’m an only child used to taking care of only me), I am still and even more so in love with him, my angel.

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Gabe at one month old.

He’s not just an angel because his name is Gabriel though. He’s an angel because of how God is using him to enhance my life spiritually. Like the heavenly angels, Gabriel has given me renewed hope in the presence and promises of God. For three years my husband and I tried to conceive a child with both of us having physical challenges that could hinder conception. For three years we prayed, confessed, and praised God for a child that we did not see manifested. For three years we made preparation for him–painting his nursery, buying baby items like diapers and rattles all in an effort to add works to our faith. Of course there were occasional bouts with doubt, but God. My son is living proof and a constant reminder that God is real; that he hears my prayers; that he cares enough to answer them; and that he is not a man that He should lie neither the son of man that He should repent. If he said it, he will do it. If he spoke it, He will bring it to pass (Numbers 23:19).

God is also using him to build my trust in Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths.” Being a parent comes with its own set of challenges, challenges that are totally new to me–supporting a child financially, raising him according to God’s standards amid such worldly perversions and ungodly influences, balancing his needs with my own and not to mention the needs of my spouse, my job and my ministry. I’ll admit it has been a challenge trying to figure out how to manage it all. That’s why trust in God is necessary. I need His divine grace and help to do it well. This is not to say that I never had to trust God before my son was born, but this has been an opportunity to trust Him more and on a completely different level as provider, way maker, and companion.

Gabriel has also been used by God to grow my commitment and service to God. It is easy to get complacent and use my son as an excuse to neglect my obligations to God (it’s too cold to bring Him out to church or I’m too tired from being up with him all night to go to church), as many people do when they have received their hearts desire from Him. But that is no time to get slack and stop serving God. I am faced with the reality that there is more that God is requiring of me besides being a wife and mother, and on top of that I have the awesome responsibility to model a heart to please God in front of my son in the decisions I make. God never intended for His promises to take our hearts away from Him. They are supposed to draw us closer to Him through humble thankfulness toward Him for those manifested promises. I thank God that my angel, Gabriel is doing just that for me.

 

The Last Mani-Pedi

Today I went to tnailshe mall and had a mani-pedi. No big deal, right? It was only supposed to ensure that my feet would look decent when I went to the hospital to deliver my baby and as a way to relax before the big day, but it turned into something more–something more symbolic and meaningful to me. I realized that this would be the last mani-pedi I would have as a child-free woman. In essence, this would be the last time I would do something pleasurable just for me without having to consider the needs of a child. Instead of it being just another mani-pedi, it was a brief moment for me to relish in my non-mommy status before the very certain and soon arrival of my son, Gabriel.

Don’t misunderstand me. I am super excited to enter this new phase in my life, and I definitely count it an honor to be a mother because it is a blessing, but there’s no mistaking that my life will never ever be the same in Jesus name. Getting married at the age of 30 was the first transition into a less selfish me, where I would have another person’s needs to consider, and now at the age of 34 any remaining bits of selfishness will have to take a back seat to meeting my son’s every need and being totally responsible for his well-being. That’s not to be taken lightly. It comes with the territory–territory that I’ve been desiring to enter for the past three years. So I’m okay with that. Actually, I’m thrilled with it. That moment also reminded me how important it is to appreciate and find contentment in every phase of life, even as the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11.

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

So will there be more mani-pedis in my future? Absolutely! But for at least the next 18 years, it won’t be before I make sure that my child has what he needs first.

 

I’d love to hear how any soon-to-be, first-time mothers are spending your final days of freedom or how any other mothers enjoyed yourselves before your babies arrived. Feel free to share.