seventy times seven...

last month, my devotion came from 1 Kings 18.

after years of drought, God has promised rain to Elijah.

he and his servant climb to the top of Mount Carmel to search for even the tiniest glimmer of the hope of this promise... several times he sends his servant to look out towards the sea.

finally, on the seventh time, the servant returns with news of a tiny cloud "the size of a man's hand."

Spurgeon says it like this,

"Six times the servant returned, but on each occasion no word was spoken but 'Go again'.

We must not dream of unbelief, but  hold to our faith even to seventy times seven.  Faith sends expectant hope to look from Carmel's brow, and if nothing is beheld, she sends again and again."

i think all of us have felt hopeless at one time or another.

we each have a story.  you can read mine here.

you may not think your story is comparable to anothers, but God's hand is guiding each of our lives in the most perfect way and He challenges us to keep the faith no matter our circumstance.  keep praying. keep seeking. keep asking. keep thanking.

He promises us an answer.

this goes for times of sorrow and rejoicing!

lately, a couple {baby} stories in particular have been on my heart...

Libba's baby girl, Glory, was diagnosed with anencephaly at 19 weeks gestation. 

she is choosing to carry the pregnancy, giving God the glory every step of the way.

you can read about her inspiring journey here.

then there's Mindy.  7 weeks ago she gave birth to a precious little boy.  they named him Isaac.  she and her husband, Daniel, were made aware of some complications when they went for their ultrasound to determine the sex of their little miracle.  but it wasn't til a couple weeks after he made his debut that he was diagnosed with fanconi anemia.

I've known Daniel as one of my brother's close friends for years now, and Mindy couldn't be more perfect for him... and God couldn't have picked two more perfect parents for Isaac.

Mindy's got her own little blog spot here.  stop by and read her story.

and here's this little guy.  Corban Shepherd.  i'm not clear on all the details of his condition, but he's been in the hospital and up against some major challenges since his birth, almost 4 months ago.  God has seen this precious little family through so much over these past few months, with a couple recent victories! praise Him!  i try to stay updated through a very dear friend of mine and facebook :)

also, i have quite a few friends right now that are trying {and have been trying} to get pregnant for some time now.  their desire is SO great and despair sets in often.

waiting is the hardest part.

for some, everything lines up... reproductive system checks out {for both parties}, ovulation is right on time, and they've already been blessed with one or two other beautiful babes.  so, why the wait now??

others have found they can't have biological children, but the Lord has laid adoption on their heart and they're just waiting on Him to see it through.

please take time to lift these incredible ladies up in prayer.

these stories center around the journey and gift of motherhood.

but wherever God has you sitting right now, trust Him.

keep praying. seventy times seven.