Today is the last day of my 5 Days to a Healthier Pregnancy series. It has been a lot of fun, a lot of work, a learning experience, and a blessing to me to read your comments. We’ve talked about nausea during pregnancy, eating healthy, exercising, and supplements. To wrap things up, I want to encourage you in an area that I think is the most important to be healthy in – not just during pregnancy, but in everyday, normal life. And that is in our walk with God.
When life changes happen, difficulties come our way, or we get smacked out of routine for various reasons, it’s easy to become apathetic, to let our bible study and prayer time fall to the way side. I am speaking from first-hand experience here! Whenever we go on vacation, it’s always a bit of a struggle to not push aside my quiet time for sleeping in or other activities that may be going on. If I’ve gotten sick, it’s very easy to let it all slide as fatigue and feelings of rottenness take over my body.
In the same way, whenever I have gotten pregnant, there is always the temptation to push off quiet time. Especially during the first trimester when my body is so tired and weary and sick that it is all I can do to get out of bed before the kids some mornings.
It is at times like this that it is the most crucial to draw near to God.
The Lord promises that when we delight ourselves in him that he will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). The number of times I have cried out to be delivered from nausea and fatigue while pregnant, but not walking close with the Lord, has made me examine my heart. I don’t need to be delivered from it – I need to delight myself in the Lord, trust in him and he will give me the strength to carry on.
The Lord promises that when we draw near to him, that he will draw near to us (James 4:8). I have so quickly and easily fallen into pulling away from him, and the spiritual dryness and emptiness that follows is not good.
The Lord promises that HIS JOY shall be our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). Nothing that I can do on my own will bring the joy and the strength that only the Lord can give. I don’t want to survive – I want to thrive! But it can only happen when I am rooted and grounded in him, his word, and seeking to find strength by the joy that he gives.
So when life changes happen, or you’re sick and tired during pregnancy, keep your eyes on and your heart turned toward the One who created you, loves you, and is holding your heart and your life in his hands. If you can’t get up before anyone else and get that quiet time in, find or make time later in the day. Instead of spending that extra 15 minutes on facebook, pinterest, twitter or a blog, go to One whose words and opinion really matter. Draw near to him, delight yourself in him, humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up. For the only way that you can stand, is if you fall on your knees before him.
Thanks so much for joining me in this 5 Days to a Healthier Pregnancy series! It has been a blessing to share with you what I have been learning, thank you for letting me do so!
Don’t forget to check out the remaining posts for the other bloggers in the 5 Days of Mothering and Homemaking series.
