When I was younger, I used to dream I would have a large family, just like some extended relatives or people that I knew in my life. Even though I saw these lives from the outside looking in, I thought that this was idyllic.
After I met the lady who was later to become my wife, she explained to me beforehand some health concerns that were pretty serious and that would affect whether or not she could bear children. As a Christian, I was confident that the Lord would heal her or that He would make a way to move forward in the situation, perhaps through adoption. Both my wife and I had a desire for children. Yet it turns out that biological children weren’t part of His plan, and we have had to submit to this turn of events. It can be hard to submit to the Lord’s will when it hurts; everyone around us, it seemed, was having children. Yet the Bible teaches us a different way. In the book of Hebrews, we’re told that “the Lord disciplines the one He loves and He chastens everyone he accepts as His son.” Don’t ask me why He does this, but I believe it has to do with God purifying us; it’s about sanctifying us in our inner beings, so that we are moulded more in the image of Christ.
I am so thankful that my identity is not wrapped around any of my own notions or preconceptions. I often get things wrong; I see things from my biased point of view. This is why I am in need of a close, personal relationship with my Saviour to guide, protect and lead the way. God knows his plans and ways in my life, which is completely unique. I have a different calling from everybody else. The same goes for you!
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