Ashley Farrell: Blog

Things don't usually happen the way I expect them to, and I don't tend to handle it well. Thankfully the Lord is working on me, and my "recovery time" is continually getting quicker and quicker.

Last December I was at a breaking point. Steve & I had been trying to get pregnant for a year, our house wasn't selling...the list goes on and on. In a nutshell, nothing was going the way I had planned. To make it even more frustrating, it seemed like the things we were wanting in our lives were happening in the lives of those around us. I couldn't help but ask God, "Are You serious???" Then one Sunday, the worship team played "Worth It All" (a beautiful worship song by Rita Springer) and it brought me to tears. For those of you who don't know the song, check this out:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnf21GC2aBQ Beautiful, isn't it? After hearing that song, I gave God all my pain to hold on to, and held tight to the promise that it's gonna be worth it. 

Today I was spending time in Luke 24, reading about the men on the road to Emmaus. These two men were walking, heads hung low, depressed about the fact that Jesus- whom they believed would redeem Israel- was crucified. He had been dead for 3 days and His tomb was just found empty. Now I don't know what the redemption plan looked like in their minds, but Jesus dying a brutal death and having His body go missing was definitely not what they had in mind. These men were so upset, that when Jesus Himself met them on their journey and talked with them, they had no clue who He was. As I read this passage of scripture, my mind went back to last December...

Sometimes I get so upset about things not going the way I envisioned, that I miss Jesus in the midst of it. Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." His plans are far better than any plan I can come up with. When I'm sad, or discouraged, He meets me where I'm at to encourage me. Jesus explained the scriptures concerning Himself to those 2 men on the road to Emmaus. He showed them that even though it didn't go as they planned, it was God's plan. His plans are perfect! The Lord met me where I was at last year and encouraged me through that song. Just 4 weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. :)

Now there are still things that we're believing for- our house in TN is still on the market- but as I've gone through these past 7 months of pregnancy, I've learned that good things come to those who wait. Our son has blessed Steve and I so much and he's not even born yet! I can't imagine the blessings and joys that he will bring us. Children are truly a gift from the Lord. I'm so thankful that my Heavenly Father is the best gift giver!

"Worth It All" often comes to mind and encourages me each time I hear it. The Lord also encourages me through His word, through friends, through my husband... He is still speaking. We just need to be listening.

I pray that you would be encouraged today. Whatever trial you're going through, let Him hold on to your pain and have peace in knowing that it's gonna be worth it.

Charis,

Ashley