When you can't see a way to succeed

God is higher than anything and anyone, outshining everything you can see in the skies. Who can compare with God, our God, so majestically enthroned, Surveying his magnificent heavens and earth? He picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who’ve been thrown out with the trash, Seats them among the honored guests, a place of honor among the brightest and best. He gives childless couples a family, gives them joy as the parents of children. Hallelujah! Psalm 113:4-9 (MSG)

My husband and I have been told we have 0% chance of conceiving children naturally. 

Those are pretty low odds. 

Some days I’m really sad when I think about it. My heartbreaks at the thought of never holding a child that looks like me. 

And then the next day I’ll smile into the face of a child with no parents, or hold the baby my friends just adopted, or play with a nephew and I’ll think about how God gives childless couples a family, how he gives them joy as the parents of children.

I think about how God knows to preface a few verses about childless couples with words about how the incomparable God picks up those who have been thrown out with trash and seats them among the brightest and the best. 

When I read verses like this I’m reminded of how this big God cares – really, really cares – about me. 

My heart heals as I grasp that God is enthroned in heaven but wants me to sit right next to him. (tweet this)

God doesn’t care in a far off distant way, but in a close enough to inhale the natural fragrance of my skin kind of way.

I read these verses, I think about the odds of us having children, I still feel sad about it, but I do have hope. 

Hope, that this close-up God cares about me – that he isn’t going to throw me out with the trash – he’s going to do his best by me, that his plans have me surrounded by a family of his making, not mine.

There is hope because God has promised joy in the midst of barrenness. (tweet this)

Ponder: What area of your life feels barren right now, like no matter what you do, you are unable to bring life there?

Prayer: God, I find it amazing that you come close enough to inhale the scent of me. Thank you for not being a far off-God. I want to experience life in my barren places, I want to meet you there. Amen.

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