Almost one year ago, with three weeks of pregnancy to go, I went to my doctor’s office for a routine stress test. Since I wasn’t feeling great, I asked my husband to come with me at the last minute.
When the nurse said, “We need to send you to the hospital for monitoring,” I was stunned. Still, my doctor assured me everything was probably normal, and I’d get to go home later that day. My husband dropped me off so he could get our hospital bags just in case.
Two hours later, “just in case” turned into our doctor’s announcement: “You’re going to have a baby tomorrow.”
I felt so unready. I had three weeks to go! Getting induced was not what I wanted, but what mattered most was that our baby was healthy. As a result, most of my birth plan went out the window—and we met our sweet boy the next day.
So often in life, our best-made plans don’t pan out. Circumstances surprise us—for better or worse. How do we trust God when we don’t feel “ready”?
#1: Keep Your Eyes on Him.
After the nurses settled me in a room and then left to let the induction medication start its course, the waiting began. How long would the process take? The fact that I was about to deliver our baby felt so surreal. The minimal amounts of discomfort I felt were going to ramp up fast.
In my room, someone had tacked a small metal cross to the wall. I can’t begin to tell you what comfort the symbol of my Savior’s suffering and redemption brought me. It reminded me to keep my eyes and focus on Him. He was going to be with me the whole delivery. Jesus’ promise that “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20 NKJV) felt so close and real.
#2: Bathe Your Situation in Prayer and Praise.
I had made a birth play list to keep my thoughts positive and centered. Songs ranged from “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson to “See Me Through It” by Brandon Heath. But the song that pulled me through some frightening moments was “Thou Oh Lord.” If you’re unfamiliar with this remarkable anthem, it’s based directly on the text from Psalm 3 which says, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head” (Psalm 3:1-2 NKJV).
God was my shield. He was with me. He wasn’t going anywhere even when I felt overwhelmed.
I prayed through this song and others during the delivery. I’ve prayed songs like this one in other challenging situations, too. You may not have (or need) a birth playlist, but I encourage you to keep a playlist of songs that help keep your focus on Him.
#3: Lean into the Support He’s Provided.
My husband James never left my side during the process. I honestly don’t think he ate anything in solidarity but faithfully fed me ice chips. And while I rested uncomfortably in the hospital bed, waiting for contractions to grow closer together, he rested his six-foot-plus frame on the short, lumpy loveseat.
He squeezed my hand. He held one of my legs and helped me push. He kept telling me I could do it. I leaned hard into his physical and emotional support.
So too in life, God sends people into our path to strengthen and encourage us. Maybe it’s a friend on the phone or a text message that comes at just the right time. Maybe it’s a spouse or a parent. Instead of believing the lie that we can “handle this” (whatever “this” is) on our own, we should reject the temptation to isolate and instead embrace the support God provides. Sometimes, that might mean picking up the phone ourselves and reaching out for help.
Choose Your Response.
The bottom line is that life will present situations we don’t feel ready for. We can’t avoid or prevent them from coming our way, but we can choose how we respond.
When was the last time you found yourself feeling unprepared for a situation? What helped “see you through” it?
Kristen Hogrefe Parnell writes suspenseful fiction from a faith perspective for women and young adults. Her own suspense story involved waiting on God into her thirties to meet her husband, and she desires to keep embracing God’s plan for her life when it’s not what she expects. Kristen’s books have won the Selah Award and the Grace Award, among others, and her inspirational romantic suspense novel, Take My Hand, is now available. An educator at heart, she also teaches English online and enjoys being a podcast guest. Kristen lives in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband and son. Connect with her at KristenHogrefeParnell.com.
Don’t find us. We’ll find you.
Trauma therapist Kaley Colbert needs a vacation from her job, and a ski trip with her church singles’ group seems like the perfect way to unplug. But while in the mountains, she learns that her last client was murdered hours after their meeting, and she wonders if the notes she’s receiving from a possible stalker hold a more sinister warning.
On the trip, ex-boyfriend and entrepreneur Reef Mitchell wants to give their relationship another chance, but Kaley questions if his past and priorities could ever mesh with her life. When her client’s underworld connections catch up with her, she has no choice but trust Reef to help her stay alive, solve her client’s mystery, and bring the killers to justice.
