Guest post: Waiting on God's Timing

As the season of Advent begins, and we await the joyous celebration of our Lord's birth, I am happy to share with you this guest post by blogger and new mom Heather at ThenComesMercy.com.

Waiting on God's Timing

I was five days past my due date. The idea of leaving the house—even just to pick up a gallon of milk—felt overwhelming. We live in a small town and everyone from our neighbors to the ladies at our community bank knew my due date. When the date came and went without fanfare, both my husband and I were inundated with calls, texts, Facebook messages:

"Where's the baby?"

"He sure is taking his sweet time!"

"You must feel so disappointed that he's still not here yet!"

I started sending my husband out for milk and bread and sequestered myself in the house. Each day, we prayed for God to send our son. Each evening, I would get ready for bed again with a heavy heart.

To be completely honest, the waiting seemed, well, unfair—we'd had a miscarriage the year before and it'd taken several months for us to get a positive pregnancy test again. Then God spoke to me about my heart—did I really feel entitled to be a mom? Did I view it as something God owed me, rather than a grace—a totally undeserved gift? 

I'm ashamed to admit that I did view it as an automatic, no-questions-asked "next chapter" in our lives: marriage, buying a house, having a baby. Over the past year, He has shown me the truth of Isaiah 55:8-9: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

In case you're wondering, the waiting didn't last forever. On the evening of October 14, my water broke and—shortly after noon on October 15, 2011—our baby boy was born. Even after nine months of preparation, I was still in disbelief that the waiting was over. I was in awe of the blessing which, somehow, still felt unexpected. Seeing our baby open his eyes for the first time was a moment I'll never forget.

I do not have a son now because of my faith or because of any good works I've done. I truly believe it is a mercy of God. Undeserved, given due to nothing in me. This gift is for His own purposes. I pray for a spirit like Hannah's in the Bible (1 Samuel 1:27-28)—to recognize that this child is not mine. To remember that waiting yields fruit in God's timing. To remember that God's timing is not my timing, but that it is far better—it is perfect.


Congratulations, Heather, on the arrival of your baby boy! God is always faithful when we wait on Him! For more of Heather, please visit her blog at ThenComesMercy.com.