When I first met my husband, he was a father of three. 

I was a never-married, single girl, with a deep desire to one day have a child of my own. 

I never thought I’d marry a man with three children.

Or that I’d marry one who had taken permanent measures to ensure he would never father a child again.

But I did.

Saying “I do”, not knowing if I could ever conceive a child, was a huge step of faith. 

But God had made it so very clear that this man was his choice for me, so I decided it was worth the risk.

After all, even if I never had a child of my own, I could still share the joys of a family – including some of those mom moments I craved – through the three daughters I had inherited.

And I did.

I poured myself into them and loved them the best I could, praying for them, and thanking God for the chance to enjoy these three.  They were (and are) my girls.  My gift and my treasure.

But still, I longed to have a little one who would call ME Mom, as my three had someone else in their lives that held that title. 

And I hoped to raise a child from birth, as our youngest was nine when we married, and I had missed even their early years.

At this time, I resonated deeply with the biblical story of Hannah, a woman who begged God for a child, promising to give him back if she could just have one of her own (you can read her story in 1 Samuel 1 & 2).

So during this season, I trusted, and waited, and prayed, accepting that whatever God decided for me, it would have to be okay.

And then God did a thing.

We went to a church dinner and the pastor spoke on fruitfulness.  Suddenly, in what seemed to be completely out of the blue, he shared a story about a couple in a situation similar to ours. Only they had found a surgeon, and the woman was now expecting.

This was a couple I knew. 

And I also knew that this was a message meant just for me, as I had been begging God to lead us down this very path but had no idea where to go.

Three years later, I held a child of my own. 

A little girl.  A modern-day miracle made possible by God’s intense love for me and his willingness to say yes to the longing of my heart.

This is not to say that God always says yes.  Sometimes we hold desires that he must redirect.  And I had decided that if redirection was the plan, God knew best.

I’ve had plenty of no’s in my lifetime also, but in his mercy, he said yes to this.

So that is the theme of today’s post. 

A reminder to you that God sees that deep desire.  That he knows that well-worn wish. 

And as Jesus lovers, our charge is to offer that desire to him, and let him do what he will with it.

Over the years, I have come to love the Old Testament and its chronicles of the Israelites’ lives.  How they sometimes listened to God and often didn’t.  And how, no matter what, God had a plan at work.

This is big news for a heart holding a wish.  Remembering that God is still in it.

In the book of Zechariah, the Israelites had been scattered among the nations, living in captivity. And like me, they too held a deep desire.  A dream that they might one day return to Jerusalem, reunited as a free people again. 

And then God prophetically promised them such a future in Zechariah 8:4-6. 

When I read this passage, I see hope for us all. 

A reminder that God ALWAYS has a plan:

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.  This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: “All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for me?” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

Does your dream seem impossible to you now?  Does your wish seem to be forever out of reach?

Just a reminder (Luke 1:37):

Nothing is impossible for God!

Let me encourage you that he hasn’t forgotten your silent longing.  God sees that deep desire.

As for the Israelites, they did reunite as a people again.  God did hear their cries, and he kept good on his promise. 

So I say to you, my friend, hold on.  His work is not finished.  His hands are still in it.  And his plan is still in place. 

But may I encourage you also to seek his will in it, and be sure to do it his way.

Today the child I prayed for is a 21-year-old, vivacious, bubbly, beautiful, and deeply caring woman.  She is fiercely protective of her momma.  And guess what?  Four years after that, God blessed us with a bonus. A son, my husband’s fifth child.  The only boy in the bunch.  A deep-thinking, loyal, and kind-hearted young man.  We are deeply blessed.

Thank you for reading this post.  And friend, I pray that whatever your deep desire is, you will lay it at the feet of Jesus and know that he will do what is best for you — in his way and in his timing. 

My miracle took 8 years.  But it was well worth the wait.

I pray that yours will be too.