25 May My Turning Point: From Devastation to Hope!

My turning point. It’s a message I have been waiting to share for over a year. To be honest, I am not sure why I have waited. It’s almost as if I was waiting for the perfect moment because it’s a message that changed everything for me. I don’t know what I expected that perfect moment to look like, but I believe it’s finally time to share.

Today I want to share the reason that Colby and I are able to walk in such joy, freedom and hope. I want to share the reason our marriage is thriving after all we have endured. I want to share why we are walking more intimately with the Father than ever before. I want to share why infertility has not destroyed us. I want to share why we are able to celebrate all the babies around us as we wait for our own. I want to share why our wait has been so full of hope and expectancy.

There is a key piece to the equation. And it doesn’t just hold true for Colby and I. The key that I want to share today is what created our turning point and I believe it can do the same for you. The turning point from me being at my very lowest in August 2013, which was completely devastated, to where I am today, pregnant with hope!

In August 2013 I had a dream that I was pregnant. I was so excited that I woke up, took a test, and at the same time it displayed negative, I started my period. I was devastated. I didn’t realize it at the time, but that moment was my rock-bottom.

It was in that moment that Father spoke to me and simply said, “stop.” Stop! Stop trying to control. Stop trying to make the baby happen. Stop your striving. I had been striving to get my baby. Striving to get pregnant. Striving to grow our family. We were trying all the fancy diets, acupuncture, essential oils, timing intercourse, charting and tracking. You name it, we were trying it.

I had to choose in that moment what I was going to do: listen to my Father and surrender my plans and my ways. Or, continue writing my own story. I chose to be obedient, surrender and follow him. And when I did? Everything changed.

Surrender

Psalm 46:10 says, “Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving And you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, And I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.”

The moment we chose to surrender everything, absolutely everything, changed. The moment we chose to surrender is also the moment where the joy, peace, freedom and hope began to overwhelm us. The moment we chose to surrender is when we learned more about walking as adopted sons and daughters of our Father instead of walking as orphans. The moment we chose to surrender is when we understood that we don’t serve a master, we have the privilege of having a relationship with our Father. The moment we chose to surrender is the moment that we removed all expectations from what our story should and would look like. The moment we chose to surrender our journey over to God was our turning point.

Without even knowing, that day in August of 2013, almost 5 years ago, would change the trajectory of our story.

Romans 4:2-3 says, “the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, ‘Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own’.”

I encourage you to insert your own name: “the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Caroline-story. What we read in Scripture is, ‘Caroline entered into what God was doing for her, and that was the turning point. She trusted God to set her right instead of trying to be right on her own’.”

Wow! The moment we surrendered is when we realized it wasn’t a Caroline-story or a Colby-story, it was and is a God-story.

There is way more to be said and I share the core of it in the video message below. I share more details of getting to the point of surrender. I share more of what God spoke to us. I share more of how God has blessed us more than we could ask or imagine. I share how I once looked like a toddler and now I look like a mature daughter. I share how in our position of surrender, God’s strength has carried us through. I share how his Word has brought us life. I share how he has brought us from having a lack to an abundant mindset. I share some myths and lies that you might be believing around surrendering. I share how surrendering is a decision and it’s decision we have to daily choose.

I really hope you take time to watch more details from my story below. And then? I hope you too decide to surrender. I hope you decide to stop your striving. I hope you decide to stop trying to make your miracle happen. And when you do? Everything, absolutely everything, will be different for you. No longer will you be hopeless, miserable or bitter. No longer will you barely just getting by. Instead, you will be able to receive everything Father has for you: his inheritance which includes joy, peace, freedom, hope and so much more! I believe that if and when you choose to surrender, it will be your turning point too.

PS. If you are going through infertility, please head over to join a faith-based support group I founded, Moms in the Making! We are having a conference October 12-13 and you are invited!

PPS. Have you picked up a copy of my book? Buy In Due Time, a 60-day devotional for hope + encouragement in the waiting. It’s on sale for Memorial Day! Use code memorialday20 for 20% off!

PPPS. I created a group on facebook as an extension of my book + blog to discuss anything + everything. Women only! Come join us!

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