Yesterday, I read about fear and faith in one of my devotionals. It really spoke to me because the subject of fear and faith was something that was all too familiar to me, with all of the pregnancy mishaps we have gone through over the last 18 months.
I still haven’t shared the full details of this little miracle baby that I’m currently carrying in my womb, simply because the Holy Spirit hasn’t prompted me to share the whole story yet.. but it makes me laugh a little at how the Lord helped us conquer all of these crazy obstacles, and the enemy just keeps on trying to get to us.
As ya’ll may know.. mine and Chad’s faith is pretty strong, and we are usually pretty un-phased by all of the enemy’s sly tactics. And for months, we have been cleared from our high risk status for this pregnancy; everything has been going as perfectly as we could hope for. But the enemy knows that nothing means more to us than this little baby and the future of our family, so of course that’s where he’s always gonna plan his attacks!
We were told today that our baby has a two-vessel umbilical cord. As a reference for those who don’t know what that means — a normal umbilical cord has one vein that transports oxygenated blood to the baby, and two arteries that carry oxygen-poor blood away from the baby and back towards the placenta. The placenta then returns any waste back into my blood, and allows my body to eliminate the waste. Our baby’s umbilical cord only has one vein and one artery, restricting the normal flow of blood and waste to and from the baby. This abnormality can pose a hefty amount of risks for our pregnancy, such as: increased risk for birth defects, organ dysfunction for baby, preterm labor, growth restrictions, and in the worst cases — stillbirth.
For all of you who’ve been following our whole pregnancy journey, you know that pregnancy complications is not something that’s foreign to us. But also for those of you who know us and understand where our faith in God stands, you know that we believe God is in control of everything. He has already performed a beautiful miracle and saved our baby early on in this pregnancy, and I truly believe that these “findings” from today’s appointment is nothing but a scare tactic from the enemy.
You see, the enemy will only attack and steal what he deems as valuable to him. So it makes me wonder the million dollar question: What is it about the generations to come from us that is so special that the devil is so persistent in trying to stop?
My point in sharing this with ya’ll is to remind you that when you feel fear, anxiety, doubt, or worry about anything at all.. that the enemy is behind it, and he is trying to spoil what God has in store for you and crush your faith. Faith means having confidence in God, and trusting that He is sovereign and in control of every aspect of your life. Even when the obstacles seem tough, God’s got you.
I just wanted to be transparent with ya’ll to encourage you to walk in faith, no matter what the enemy tries to throw your way. And that YOU are valuable — otherwise, the enemy wouldn’t try so hard to bring you down.
So stay faithful, my friends.. and remember that God is always looking out for you. And thank ya’ll so much for continuing to pray with us and we appreciate ya’ll for following our beautiful journey that the Lord has laid out before us.
“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will you hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
– Isaiah 41:10
Noah’s Ray of Sunshine 