Devotional & Scripture Card: Isaiah 43:2

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you." ~ Isaiah 43:2

Motherhood is full of many rivers and flames. I think it is fair to say that every mother faces moments or seasons of feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and hopeless. For some, getting pregnant involves a challenging and draining set of months or years of disappointment. For others, the tragic loss of life due to miscarriage or stillbirth completely floods their world. Pregnancy in and of itself is not always the easiest road. Complications can arise all too often during pregnancy with both mom and baby, causing anxiety and difficulty on a daily basis. Whatever difficulty is in front of you, it is so easy to get lost in the darkness of your situation and not see the light leading you out of your trial, but God can. God sees the other end that we cannot see and He already knows what we will face. Better yet, He promises to walk through our trials with us if we draw close to Him and trust in His leading. There will be trials in motherhood, but the Lord promises us that when we trust in Him they will neither overwhelm us nor consume us. As Christians, we are not promised an easy life free of difficulty, instead we are promised the presence of a loving Father who will hold our hand as we walk through fire. When a woman is experiencing labor, she is often pushed to a place of intensity that she has never been pushed before. Long, arduous labors can feel like a river pulling you under or a flame that is never ending. Even after baby arrives, the postpartum period is full of its own trials, ones that are often kept behind closed doors and extremely draining. From the physical recovery from labor, to the massive changes in your body and hormonal balance, to the sleeplessness and exhaustion, to beginning your breastfeeding journey, to relational changes and adjusting to a new life, the postpartum time is often demanding and tough. It is so often through these difficult times that we grow the most and draw closer to the Lord. In these times of difficulty, we need relationship, we need support, and we need love. The Lord freely gives us all of these things and more. No matter what your trial looks like, remember that the Lord is right there beside you. He will uphold you and carry you through. As believers, we carry the Holy Spirit within us! Remember that incredible gift and the power that it holds the next time you face a river or a flame in your life. God is bigger than whatever you are facing. His love for us is unwavering and you can depend on Him. Even when everything else is falling apart, He is our hope and our comfort and our joy.

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