No buyers, no clients, many sleepless nights…thus would summarize some of the struggles that have been going on in my heart over the last month. I was striving, putting my best effort forward to get the word out there. Desiring desperately to move on to the next season of our lives. It feels so peaceful to move…to be closer to Aaron’s work allowing more family time (instead of hours in traffic separating us), more opportunities to reach out to his co-workers and be more in a community of families in an actual neighborhood that we could minister to, in addition to being closer to our church family.
I wanted doula clients so I could complete my certification. I only needed three. How hard could that be? I was shocked and inwardly battling discouragement when I was refused again and again. Was I really in the Lord’s will? Was this just a sign that I wasn’t supposed to be doing this? I knew I was not desiring to pursue a career in this by any means as my mothering is a full-time ministry, so maybe this wasn’t the best time to look for outside ministry opportunities?
Many continued battles with insomnia…many nights crying out to the Lord.
The Lord spoke loud and clear through two gracious friends….”Wait on me, Lindsay. All your striving only results in heartache and disappointment. Wait. It may take 6 months to sell your house, but why would you doubt that it wasn’t My will? Do I always confirm immediately? If this were so, my perfect refining work would not be completed in you. Your fulfillment will not come if you fulfill your certification requirements by the end of the year, which was your time frame. Wait for My time frame. That is perfect. My peace I give to you, My peace I leave with you. Not as the world gives – not the immediate satisfaction of your desires that the world lays forth as confirmation. I am doing a beautiful work in you. Let My peace overwhelm you. Let My peace satisfy you. Wait and be faithful where you are.”
Peace has flooded my heart. A beautiful work that only God can do when I fully resign my desires to His timing and control. I decided to stop striving and wait. It feels so good. Are you striving today? May I encourage you with these verses:
Cease striving and know that I am God. (Psalms 46:10)
Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles. They will run, and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
Praise the Lord for His good work. Praise the Lord for a rich time at the beach this past month with my wonderful family! Praise the Lord for His provisions! Praise the Lord for my two little children – two precious bundles of joy, two little disciples! That is where I will be faithful. I may stumble again, but the Lord is Faithful and True to pick me up and carry me along.
The Taylor Clan 2010 – Lincoln City, OR
L-R: Aaron, Titus, me, Karis, Mom, Christa, Kelly, Brooke, Sam, Brandon, Dad, Dan, Stephen, Micah, Larissa, Trinity and my new niece – Isabelle
In the meantime, I am taking a little blogging break. Aaron has had two intense weeks at work, and we need to rest together and be a family. See you sometime next week! Have a glorious and restful holiday weekend!
Great article with some interesting information! I can’t say that I completely agree with all you have written here, but there are a good amount of important recommendations you have highlighted that can be quite useful on natural health and related topics. Please continue offering more ideas on this topic and associated topics, as there are quite a few folks who are attempting to evaluate the positives and negatives.
PS – I love your blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and inspire the rest of us.
As I can see from these many posts, my husband and I are not the only ones waiting on the Lord. I heard a great talk about the Spirituality of Waiting which has helped me tremendously. God asks us to wait, but always gives us a Promise, a foundation on which to base our waiting. This Promise is our touchstone – it allays our fears and keep us coming back to Him.
I never noticed before, but all the figures in the New Testament were waiting figures, Elizabeth, Zachariah, Mary, Anna, Simeon – all were waiting for the Promise of the Messiah – and the Lord fulfilled His Promise to them. I have always loved Simeon’s canticle – “Now let your servant depart, for my eyes have seen thy salvation…”!! Does it get any better than that?
Wait with open-ended, joyful expectation, as though what you need/want is already in the works…because IT IS!! Even in this moment, God is at work for you and in you.
My husband and I have been waiting for 3 specific blessings, for many years, and slowly the Lord is fulfilling all of His Promises to us, which is so thrilling and humbling for me. He will do the same for you and for all these lovely people writing in about their difficulties!
Now, I just have to learn to be grateful for what He has given, taking a lesson from Simeon, instead of always moving onto the next “thing”!!
Thanks for this post!
I have recently started reading through this site, and it has been such a blessing to me! I was really encouraged by your post, which was personal even to me as my name is Lindsay, too.
Actually, it’s a little crazy how alike we are…. I had been helping my midwife for the past two years on and off, praying about training to become a midwife. Like you, my ministry of motherhood comes first, and even though many friends/family thought this was a good idea, after much prayer and wrestling God showed me now was not the time with three young boys (and more on the way, we hope 
). For now, I act as a doula for many friends and family, and I love it. I still think I may get formal training for one or both in the future, and possibly nursing as well to be a better servant overseas. Anyway, enough about me… just wanted to say thanks!!
hi lindsay! i’m lindsay too – spelled the BEST way
on a more serious note, i just have to say thank you for this post. i’ve been searching for a new job and have spent my fair share of time in prayer BEGGING for something, anything to help me determine what i should be doing, for God’s plan for me to be even a tiniest bit clearer.
and friends and family have said, “your time is not God’s time, you have to wait and be patient”. but sometimes you need to hear it in a different way to really understand – for that, i thank you!
praying for you to continue sensing His peace!
Thank you for sharing your heart. This blog is, in itself, a wonderful ministry to many.
Blessings to you!
Hi Lindsay,
I appreciate your words and identify with them. We are renting for the third year after moving from a home we bought at the peak of the market but bottomed out when it was time to sell. We can’t afford to sell it and have been renting it out while we rent in a different state. I want a house and yard so badly, but God continues to remind me that he has provided for us and will use this to help us in some way. Probably developing patience in us and trust in him, his timing and faithfulness.
Also, I’m 39 weeks pregnant and so wish you could be my doula!!! Too bad I’m all the way in WV. If I could afford to fly you here I would!
Any plans on traveling east anytime soon? This will be my first attempt at a natural birth with a midwife. I’ll deliver in a hospital but I would love to have a christian doula by my side to help me through labor. You will be a blessing to so many! I pray for God’s perfect will as so many of us struggle with the housing market and seeking his direction in career and family life.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Lindsay,
What a beautiful family! Great to hear that work God is doing in your life to bring your heart closer to His. His timing is perfect, continue to trust in Him! Thanks for your blog, such an encouragment to me.
Rachel
Wow, I needed that little kick! Thanks so much for the reminders and sharing God’s message! I am in the same situation…trying to sell our house. I’m 32 weeks pregnant and really needing something to happen either really quickly or not at all. Wish we lived closer because I’d definitely hire you as my doula.
Those same verses have meant a lot to me lately, too. My little newborn baby is teaching me that it’s so much easier to cry out to help from Above than to try and solve things myself! Thanks for sharing.
Lindsay,
I cannot tell you how timely your post is! I needed a little encouraging reminder myself! Thank you for taking the time and courage to write on this!
May your time be full of joy and peace during this period. God is already using you as an example and reminder of His never-failing love, and ever perfect timing. By the way, you have a beautiful family!
Your post brought tears to my eyes. Like many other women here, I too feel like I’m waiting desperately for an answer from God. Our house has been on the market for almost 9 months – it’s very stressful dealing with tons of showings, trying to get the house ready with two mess-making munchkins undoing all my cleaning faster than I can get it done. I find myself frustrated, hopeless, irritated with my children. A few days ago, it occured to me that by focusing on all the things that were NOT going right (according to my plans), I was missing out on enjoying life with my wonderful childen and loving husband. Thank you for your words of wisdom and peace!!! Time for an attitude change !
I totally know what you mean! May the Lord sustain and comfort you and give you the ability to focus on those precious moments with your family!
Thanks for sharing! I needed the reminder.
I’ll be praying that you have a peaceful and refreshing break!
Lindsay,
You and your family look absolutely beautiful. Thank you for your sincere words, your sincere desire to figure out God’s blessed will in your life. Mothering those angels is a sacred calling, and you see it as thus…which makes you a “mother who knows.”
( “Mothers who Know” http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=dba62bce258f5110VgnVCM100000176f620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD)
The scripture you shared in Isaiah is one that my mother gave me written on a little card when I was a little girl, it has always been special for me. As I have my fourth, its a good reminder to trust my life in his powerful hands, when we are weak and helpless, he can often teach and help us the most, right?
Lindsay my Dad likes to remind us of Mary Poppins and that to every job that must be done there is an element of fun, you find the fun and snap the jobs a game. He challenged me to have beautiful experiences at night when I wasn’t sleeping. This was harder than I can say to do for me, but when I finally stopped fearing if I would sleep or not, (even the tiniest speck of fear would usually lead to insomnia), and trying to learn some lesson or think some beautiful thoughts, say some really heart felt prayers, and have a good experience, that night if it did happen, and to let Him know I was in His hands and didn’t resent His will but would cry my trust and submission to His holy care and help, this is when I began to have insomnia less and less. Now I often take a bath every night to greet my bed time, which really calms me and helps me say goodbye to my day, and night is no longer a fear whatsoever, I only have insomnia once every month to every few months. Of course this may not always be the case, and when its not I know it will be a whole new journey in faith, trust, and submission. God bless you sweet, caring and sharing woman that you are!
Love and blessings, Emily Balling
This post could not have come at a better time for me. I posted on my blog that I would be taking most of the week off to spend my blogging time in prayer and study. I decided to check your site as I was menu planning for the month. THANK YOU!
My husband lost his teaching job about 2 months ago plus we have been trying to sell our house for about 3 months. I have been trying to make everything just happen rather then listening to what the Lord had for our lives. I know I need to spend more time waiting. The Lord knows what is right for this family. There has to be a job for my husband somewhere.
We were planning to move so we could get our daughter in a different school district, but in the last week she was accepted into a wonderful private, Christian school and offered a 50% scholarship. My husband’s job plans to cash out his vacation time which will be more then enough to finish paying her tuition.
Our insurance ended on June 30th. My daughter started complaining of terrible UTI symptoms at 10:30 at night on June 30th. We were able to get her into an ER and get her medication filled all before out midnight deadline!
As for the house it seems that every time someone comes to look at it the basement floods. Maybe this is God’s way of telling us now is not the time to sell.
My husband lost his job 2 months ago, yet we have been taken care of and he has been busy with painting for his dad all summer.
I can see that the Lord is still taking care of us even though we do not see the complete picture yet. He is still faithful.
Lindsay,
I too am at a time of waiting on the Lord. My husband is two hours each way from his work. We even rent him place to stay a few nights through the week. We are praying for an opportunity for him to transfer back to our area with his company. There is no way that we could relocate to where he is because of my obligation to care for my elderly grandmother, our church and we have farm that we would not be able to sell in this economy. So we are praying and waiting for the Lord to do what is best for us. Being able to find that peace in your heart during these times is definately God given. He will take care of our needs, in His time. It was very hard for me to learn to be patient because of the “on demand” world inwhich we live. Praying for you and your beautiful family.
I think it took much courage and discernment in your life to come to this point.
I am not sure what other moms from other times and other cultures experiences are.
But it seems like our culture requires mothers and families to find peace like this:
to be able to keep their heads above the distractions and tugging from various facets.
I hope your faith will see all of these things through, after all it only takes a mustard seed.
What courage and will power you have found to wait!
I pray that this is extended into your nighttime agonies and any answers you may be
seeking are provided!
Thank you Lindsay. I believe that Christ brought me to your blog for a reason. You have brought so much inspiration and knowledge into my family’s lives!
thank you for your God-centered words!
and praise God for growing you in this season.
Hi Lindsay!
I came to Christ when I was a junior in college. Prior to this, I struggled with wanting to be in a relationship all.the.time! I needed to learn who I was in Christ and for my heavenly Father to teach me what it meant to be His daughter – His princess! Well, about a month after committing my life to Christ, I was really, really struggling with wanting to be in a relationship w/this cute boy that I met in college. He was also a believer. Deep in my heart, I knew I needed to trust in the Lord and simply get to know Him. One particular night, my best friend was visting me at college. She had come to Christ about a year earlier, so I really treasured her wisdom and advice. She was helping me through this difficult time. She stayed the night and we chatted until early morning! That night I had a dream and I continually heard, “Read page 17, read page 17, read page 17.” I woke up later thinking, “This is absolutely crazy! What am I supposed to read on page 17?” I knew for sure though, that I was supposed to read out of a devotional on my nightstand. So, I told my friend thinking she would think I was nuts. She assured me that sometimes the Lord speaks to us in dreams. He will communicate w/us however He desires! So, I opened to page 17, still not sure exactly what I was to read. The Lord made it completely clear though – there was only one verse on the entire page! “Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” (Ps. 27:14) I knew exactly what that meant. I was to wait on HIS timing for a relationship. The Lord worked in a mighty way in my heart over the next few years and helped me to learn what a godly relationship looked like. I praise Him that I waited (sometimes impatiently!). His will and timing are perfect. A few years later, I met my wonderful husband, and I’m so grateful the Lord gave me this verse as an intentional reminder to wait for Him and to always trust Him. I still cling to it as my life verse!
Thanks for so honestly sharing your heart, as always, Lindsay! Your blog is such a blessing and inspiration. As a doula just a few steps ahead of you, I just wanted to share some encouragement. I began my training as a doula before I even had babies of my own (I now have 2, a girl and a boy, the same ages as yours!). I struggled with feelings of inadequacy because I hadn’t even had my own birth experiences to learn from, but I was blessed by a few friends in the beginning who were willing to “take a chance on me” and let me attend their births! It can be hard to get started. The best learning experiences I had were with the teen moms I volunteered to serve by connecting with my local crisis pregnancy center. I got the 3 births I needed for certification and then some, but most importantly, I learned how to really support someone on the journey to motherhood. I ended up staying on as a volunteer for many years, teaching childbirth and parenting classes and I continue to have a passion for loving on teen moms. There is such a HUGE need amongst young girls for doula support. I encourage you to look into some local options so that you can find your first clients! You won’t make any money, but you sure will be blessed by blessing others!
God bless…
I really appreciated reading your post. I am in a similar situation of feeling restless and struggling to wait on the Lord’s timing. In my situation, I am a newly married and trying to go to college. One opportunity that I have been seeking out for months just fell through. God is reminding me to put my trust in Him and His timing. My value and worth is in Him and His calling for my life- not what the world or even what I think I should do sometimes. God bless. Enjoy your time with your family these next couple weeks!
Your transparency is heartwarming…on another note, I just read a book about natural cures for insomnia. The book is called Over the Counter Natural cures and he recommends Valerian.
Lindsay~ Your blog has been such a source of information and inspiration to me. I am probably almost old enough to be your mother (!) and am always amazed at your maturity and knowledge. I skimmed some of the notes other people posted but I might have missed what I’m about to say – so I apologize if I’m repeating someone else’s thoughts … one thing I have learned through years of being a Christian and desiring to follow the Lord’s will is sometimes when I hit a wall it is because I charged ahead and didn’t wait for the right timing. BUT, sometimes it is exactly because it IS the Lord’s will and the enemy is opposing me. The scripture the Lord has given me for this season of tremendous change in my life is “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed”. Proverbs 16: 3.
I have realized that so many of the thoughts and plans and desires I have had have been from the Lord!! I thought it was just me be goofy or something
But, as I have walked with Him and learned more about His will and His ways I have realized He is the One that put those thoughts in my head in the first place!! So, I encourage you to let “peace be your umpire” (as the Word says) and not strive or fret over these things. Instead, just rest in His love for you.
As I look back I realize that I abandoned things several times that the Lord was actually leading me into simply because I hit some opposition and suddenly doubted whether I had heard correctly the first time. I now have more confidence that I did, indeed, hear correctly and I need to stand firm for what the Lord instructed and promised me. It’s been amazing to see how the Lord has won these battles for me!! (Wow – sorry this was so long!)
And, yes – your hair looks terrific!!
God richly bless you and your precious family – and thank you for all you do that blesses others.
It is so hard to go through things like moving, unemployment, decisions…. But God is faithful and always does make a way in His own time.
Could I share a little bit about what I have just gone through? I also have two small children. Two beautiful girls ages almost 4 and 20 months. For over 4 years now, I have strongly desired to certify as a doula, childbirth educator, and lactation educator. And so, last Dec. I prayed and thought that it would be a good time to start. I thought I would have enough time before my eldest was old enough to homeschool. In the last 3 months I have had two doula clients. Great experiences, but I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was definitely not what God wanted me to be doing right now. The stress of constantly being on call for a woman who could go into labor at any moment, wondering if my husband or mom would be available to watch the girls when I got the call, and then labors that go all night, or even for 2 to 3 days. It was not compatible with what I feel to be the most important calling in my life – wife and mother. My first client went into labor late at night. It was an all-nighter. It took me two days after that just to catch up on sleep. Two days that I was cranky and over-tired, short with my husband and children. For me personally, I can not juggle the two. God convicted me so greatly that I was not giving my all to serving in my home, being the wife my husband needs and the mother my children need. My house was a mess, I wasn’t being purposeful in my day to day life with the girls, and I always had the slight feeling in the back of my mind that doulaing was essentially taking precedence over mothering. It was two weeks ago that God really exposed this to me. I saw that I was being to view my girls as exhausting. As a burden. I saw my husband as unhelpful. Why does taking care of the house have to be completely my responsibility? Why are the girls so needy all the time? If they just wouldn’t make messes, I wouldn’t have to be cleaning all the time. Those were the things that were running through my head. I had become ungrateful, unhappy, and had a very poor view of the beautiful responsibility and treasures God had given me. So I knew that for me, I could not reconcile the two. I could not split myself in half. Doulaing will always be there. But my girls will not always be little and in my home. So I made the choice to give the desire back to God and wait. I feel so free now and am so thankful God showed me my wrong attitudes!
I know that not everyone is like me – I have many friends who can handle being a wife and mother with doing something else on the side. They do it beautifully! But I cannot, and that is okay. I just wanted to share my experience with you
Blessings as God leads you!
Hi! I have three friends that are pregnant right now. They might need a doula.
You’re so sweet!
It’s so true. Pretty much every time I strive hard for something it that just isn’t working out, it’s not working out for a reason!!
God has a plan.
One year ago we put our house up for sale and moved into a different house we co-owned with someone else. Well, the original house never sold. Zero offers and then the bank changed policies so we couldn’t afford the fee’s even if we got well beyond our asking price for our house (not likely in this market anyways!). Well, one year later, here we are moving BACK to our original house. Our friends and family probably think we’re crazy moving back and forth like this, but we know it’s all in God’s plan. We don’t know how or why or for how long, but we know we’re meant to move back. We’ve stopped trying to guess what his next move might be, so we’re just going with the flow.
Your post speaks to me today, because I have been battling whether I should pursue some form of income outside the home for our family. I keep reminding myself that I am right where I need to be in this season of my life. Slow down and enjoy being a wife and mother, I tell myself. God hears our cries.
You hang in there and rest in his peace.
Bless you, Paige. I have gone through those struggles of wondering if I should be contributing more, and I started this doula training because it seemed a good opportunity to minister to others, but then again, who is my first ministry? My children. Ahh! That’s definitely where I need to be…and if the Lord brings the doula clients to me, then I will know that He wants me to do it.
No, Lindsay, your first ministry is your husband then your children.
Hi! As a certified doula, I can clearly recall seeking clients who would provide the birth experience I needed for certification. Some ideas I have now about how to find those women, did not occur to me until after working as a doula for sometime and I am feeling led to share some of them with you. In my area, there a few homes for young, single pregnant mothers that I think would welcome volunteer doulas. Maybe there is something like that in your area. Also, some hospitals have volunteer doula opportunities. Have you checked yours? Perhaps you could approach your previous caregiver during pregnancy and let them know you are looking for clients for certification and they can put the word out to their clients. Also teaming up with an area doula as a backup (free of charge) might give you the opportunity to attend prenatal visits as well for more experience in that aspect of the work.
I do know God has a perfect timeline for you and your doula experiences. I have found it hard to leave my young children for doula work and have taken a limited number of births because of this aspect. Some doulas are blessed to have an ideal childcare situation in place for attending births and I have not found a consistent one. But I can say that for every birth I have attended, God has made the childcare work out perfectly!
Thanks for your sharing. I know your ability to surrender to God’s will for you will bring you much peace.
That’s the thing though…I had pursued many of these routes and received closed doors. Through this process I felt the Lord was telling me to wait and He would bring the clients to me if it was His will. I have a mentor doula friend who exhorted me not to take an opportunity that I did not feel a peace about or felt a connection with the couple. One bad experience could really ruin it for me. And amazingly enough, one potential client called last week out of the blue. I went to the interview feeling total peace whatever the outcome. And low and behold, they want to use me.
God knew and how much more peaceful that is. Yes, I can see the challenges with childcare (although I am blessed with both families in the area), so I don’t plan to do more than one birth every two months so as not to overload myself or sacrifice the more important things. My real desire is just to teach childbirth classes from home actually. We’ll see what the Lord has!
As a full time wife, homeschooling mother of 6 blessings, and doula, I can encourage you to stand firm in what the Lord has spoken to you. I remember being in your shoes several years ago and needing those births to be certified. My first two turned out…well…let ‘s just say…not ideally. I was so eager to get clients, I did not really see the writing on the wall from the Lord. Now, I only take births the Lord sends me. I do not market myself at all and trust God’s sovereign hand to send folks to me. It has been a blessing!!
So, praise the Lord God most high for His counsel, attention to every detail in your home, and your full sumission to Him. May He pour out His
blessing over you and your household because of your faithfulness.
thanks for being so candid. It actually helps knowing a believer goes through the ebbs and flows, struggles and worry as well…but God ‘s timing is perfect…He likes to remind us often that it is…and that it is in His hands and not ours!
You look absolutely beautiful in that first picture! I love your hair!! Thanks for the reminders to pray and wait on God.
Oh yes………..I love the hair too!!
Wow! Thank you! So many compliments today…I am feeling quite elated.
Funny, I was also going to comment on your hair
Is it naturally curly like that? I know you had been doing the no-poo thing, you are lucky to have such beautiful hair to begin with 
We have been struggling for almost 3 years with our house situation. We have similar problems to you. We are living in a rather small 2-bedroom condo and we just had our third child so we are feeling a little cramped. But besides that, our biggest problem is the location. My husband is now the children’s pastor at our church and we are feeling so disconnected from everyone and are finding it hard to build relationships because we are a good distance away. We are constantly driving long distances sometimes multiple times a day. It really wears us out! It is so hard to be content when you want something so bad.
We took our house off the market a year ago and have been fairly content to just wait. We have just now been given another opportunity that will help us possibly move that we are going to be pursuing. Even though we are feeling really confident, it is so hard to discern God’s will from our own sometimes! So we are cautiously moving forward trying to “hear” God.
Just thought I would let you know that you are not alone in your struggles. It is definitely important to continue to trust God through everything!
Thank you so much for sharing these verses and your words of wisdom. There are times that I have such a hard time remembering these Words of God or putting them into practice. I honestly can’t understand why God has not provided a way for me to be home full time with my son. But, God knows and that’s all that matters. Instead of focusing on what I want, I need to prayerfully seek to understand what he has for me to do and learn in my current season of life.
Great post. Thanks for being transparent. Enjoy your family!!
What a great message! i will put these verse in my prayer journal.
Shawn
Beautiful! I’ll keep praying for your family.
Have you read “Come Away My Beloved” by Frances J. Roberts (an old devotional classic)? Your thoughts from the Lord sounded much like the encouragement through this book. I think you would like it.
It’s been a daily read for me for years.
Blessings to you this weekend!
Michele
That’s so great that you have peace now. Mind if I offer some words of encouragement?
In May of 2008, God called my husband and I to move an hour and a half north of our hometown (Longview, WA, actually). We waited and waited for God to give us the green light, but He kept telling us to wait. And wait. And wait. In November 2009, He finally opened up all the doors and in the same week, He provided us with a job for my husband, an apartment we could move into immediately, and our best friend moved with us–a great blessing, we didn’t have to be alone!–to this brand new large city. Along the way, so many things happened that encouraged me, especially at the end.
In January 2009, we had a miscarriage. I’m so glad God hadn’t moved us yet, because we needed our friends and family in that difficult time.
In February, we found out we were expecting again! Hallelujah!
In late February, I was put on bedrest and needed my family yet again.
In March, my husband’s income got cut in half—we had not survived without the help of family and friends.
Half way through my pregnancy, I had to switch doctors (I desperately wanted a natural VBAC, and the only way to do that was to drive to Vancouver to a midwife). I found an incredible doula in Portland that was willing to meet me at the hospital in Vancouver (I could not find a midwife close enough that did VBACs), and since we had fallen on difficult financial times, our doula did not charge us. What a blessing that was!
In October, I had second child—another girl!—via natural VBAC. It was a beautiful labor and delivery; God blessed us so much!
I found out recently that the majority of the hospitals up where we live now ban VBACs, and my husband was not comfortable with a home birth until we knew I could give birth with no medical assistance. Had we moved before our baby was born, I may have been forced into a repeat cesarean. Now that I have had a natural VBAC with no interventions whatsoever, my husband is comfortable with a homebirth next time. Praise the Lord!
There were so many other things that God had orchestrated—too many to list!
When our baby was 3 weeks old, God opened the doors for us and we moved to our new city. It was worth the wait! A year and a half is a long time to wait when you’re yearning to go where God calls you, but there were a lot of things that had to fall into place first. In May 2008, we were ready to go! But we didn’t know that God had so many things He needed to orchestrate before He was ready for us to go. If we had gone any sooner, even though we thought we were ready, we would not have been. His timing is perfect! Praise God!
Enjoy this season of waiting. God will bless you!
I just need to tell you this post is OUR LIVES and is just the thing i needed to hear. our family is trying to get our house on the market so DH can ask for a tranfer out of a very very unhelathy office and so our family can live near the rest of our family and finally have some support in the care of our 2 boys. I feel so lost and like God has left me. Thanks for this post.
Enjoy your time off. It can be difficult waiting when you are mentally ready to go. Hang in there.
Great pictures Lindsay! And what a wonderful testimony and encouragement on waiting on the Lord! He is SO GOOD, and SO faithful to answer our prayers as we wait on Him.
You are definitely an encouragement to me in your humbleness! God Bless you!
I just wanted to say I found your blog just yesterday and I love it. You are so uplifting and inspirational. I’ll be lifting you and your family up in prayer. Our family has moved often and I can understand your feelings with trying to sell your home and also trying to move forward with your career. I’m a stay at home mom now, but worked for years in labor and delivery and certified lamaze instructor. As you say, God’s time is not our time and he has wonderful things in store for his faithful servants. In reading some of your posts, you are really encouraging me to look more deeply into my faith. Some of what I have read I think wow, why didn’t I think of doing that. Anyway, I’m enjoying pouring over past posts. Your blog is like a good book I don’t want to put down.
Blessings,
Nancy
Thanks for sharing, Lindsay! I struggled for almost three years waiting to quit my job and be a mommy, before I finally submitted and found that peace. Then we made the decision for me to stay home anyway several months in advance, and wouldn’t you know – when it came time to give notice, I found out we were expecting two days later! God’s timing was perfect!
I looked back to that waiting time often during my second pregnancy. I did not want to have a second C-section, and thought a home birth was my only option, but I couldn’t find a midwife to take me with a health issue I had. I was pretty far along before God directed me to a midwifery practice at a different hospital than my first birth. I really tried to leave my expectations in His hands, and He worked it out, so that we had the perfect combination of experienced midwife and very patient doctor for a beautiful (if grueling) VBAC. God is so good, and there are so many instances of His Providence that I can look back on, but it can still be such a struggle to rest in Him! I’m so glad He has comforted you as you wait for His perfect plan to be revealed!
this is just what i needed today. a reminder. thank you. i pray you have a great, rejuvenating and relaxing rest!
it is well…
Thank you SO much for sharing…God spoke the same words to me just now through you and it calms my spirit. It definitely is the world’s way to want immediate gratification and results, and I know from past experience, that is not always God’s best for me. Thanks for the reminder!
Amen and ditto to all of the above! Thank you SO much for sharing, Lindsay! God has used your post to bless so many people! Reading your post made me cry and yet it gave me a tremendous peace again, in MY time of waiting.
Isn’t it amazing that when we let ourselves be vulnerable…and are okay with telling people that things don’t make sense to us right now, but we trust God to lead us….that we can then support each other.
Wow.
God bless you….as I know He will…
There is a book called “WAIT” by Russell Kelfer, which also has a shorter poem to go with it…it has helped me many times in the “waiting”!
Bless you and your family in all your endeavors!
Thank you for sharing your heart. I pray you will have a peaceful July!
Lindsay your family is beautiful!
Your buyer is out there. Hopefully one that is going to love your home as you have. Perhaps they are taking a little longer to pre qualify. There definitely is a reason. Maybe it is not just about making you wait.
My husband is commuting an hour and a half each way! I hear you there. We feel so blessed he has a wonderful job to go to. When our lease is up we are buying a home. I also feel blessed for the first time in a decade houses are more affordable. I guess I see things from the buyers point of view. You will be one too. Definitely, the more enjoyable side to be on!
I am praying you get your dream home. I am hoping in the future for some organic gardening blogs.