Holding on to God's Promises + How I Knew We Would Have a Baby Girl

I struggled with sharing this story on my blog (for quite some time now) but I kept feeling a tug at my heart as if someone could really use this testimony. With only a few weeks left before our baby girl arrives, I thought what better timing than now.

Back in 2014, before my first husband, Fernando, was diagnosed with cancer we had been trying for about three months for baby #2. Although three months might not seem like a long time trying (or at least nothing to worry about) I was surprised because with Andy we got pregnant in the first month. Shortly after we received the devastating news that Fernando had stage 4 stomach cancer, so we put any plans of growing our family on hold.

One day, when we were at church, one of the worship leaders came up to us and told us "I feel I have to tell you this, but a baby girl is on the way." You could imagine how ecstatic we were to hear that. We had hope that that meant he would healed from his cancer and that one day we would welcome a baby girl into our lives. Those dreams of course came crashing down when Fernando's cancer took a turn for the worse. A few weeks before he passed away, I remember we were in the hospital room. Fernando pulled me close and told me "Remember that promise the worship leader gave us at church that day, that promise was never for US, but it's for YOU. Hold on to it." As the years went by after his passing, I would think about that conversation we had. At first I thought it was a cruel joke. Why would God give us that promise if it was never going to happen. But I soon realized that it was meant for me, and it was to give me hope that one day I could love again--and so I held on to it.

What I've learned is that God's promises do not always come right away or when we want them or sometimes how we even expect them to happen.  In the Book of Genesis for example, we see the story of Abraham and Sarah. God gave them the promise that they would have a child, but they waited 25 years before that promise came to pass. Not to mention they were 90 and 100 years old, where conceiving a child might seem impossible.

You see friends, God has promises for your life just as He did for Abraham and Sarah. The Bible is full of promises, waiting to be claimed, just know however, they don't always happen the way we expect them to. 

For those of you that follow my story, then you'll know I got remarried earlier this year and we are now expecting a baby. As soon as we found out I was pregnant it's like I already knew it was a baby girl.  It all came full circle when I was in the hospital and my OBGYN gave us the news "Your baby girl is on the way." I literally couldn't help myself and started sobbing.

I share this with you to hopefully give you hope. Whatever you may be going through, just know that God's timing is always perfect. Sometimes things happen quickly, sometimes they don't. Never give up on God, because he will never give up on you. We can't wait to meet our baby girl!

Here are a few promises from scripture I try to tell myself every day and that I want to declare over you as well:


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, plans to proper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." --- Jeremiah 29:11


"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -- Isaiah 41:10



Keeping you always in my prayers,

xx,
Carmen