Jeremiah 29:11-12 Information [MSG]
10-11 This is God's words on this subject: "Babylon has passed seventy years, not the day before, I will appear and take care of you as I promised. Take you home. I know what I am doing. I have a planned plan to take care of you, not give up on you, plan to give you the future you want.
12 "When you come to visit me, I will listen when you come to pray to me.
When I was a child, my favorite vacation was Christmas. What does not love? This is a Christmas tree, Christmas carols and Christmas presents. Celebrating the birth of baby Jesus is full of joy and light. But now, as my growth and hopes mature, I have to say that my favorite holiday is Easter. I liked it when I was young, but it was a bit sick, Stephen King like Jesus' death, and then his resurrection. So I focus on jelly beans and Easter baskets. I didn't know Easter at the time. I am doing it now. As an old saying goes, "We are the Easter people who live in the world of Jesus' suffering."
I recently discovered a new trend through my patients. I noticed a half colon tattoo on her wrist. She is very happy to tell me what it means. The information behind it is not loyal to grammar rules and punctuation. Instead, it is "the author could have chosen to end the sentence, but not." In this case, the "author" is a person who survived a suicide crisis, a mental health breakdown or even extreme difficulty. A semicolon indicates that the selection continues. It represents the courage and resilience of those who do not end the story or life. It conveys hope in the sea of hopelessness and despair. It can also be a way to spark conversation and share hope with others. Sharing good news with others is a non-verbal symbol. "If I am done, then you can."
This is why I love Easter so much. This is hope when all hopes are gone. This is a miracle. This is about God's promise to keep him. When I thought about the first Good Friday, I often wondered if people thought this was the end of the story after Jesus died. If the Messiah who wants the promise of God is somewhat disappointed, what about the man who just died between the two thieves? Do they question God and wonder if he lost the battle? Do they doubt whether God really complied with his promise? Maybe. But as Christians, we know that this is not the end of the story. There are more stories in this story, which is really good news.
There have been many tests in my life. Most people do this. But one of the toughest moments in my life is that I want to have a baby and it doesn't seem to happen. When I got married with my husband, I was already in my thirties, and we didn't immediately start trying to have children. When we do this, I am 37- no spring chicken! We did some fertility tests. Most doctors are skeptical that I will be pregnant, but we are optimistic. Tips for timing sexual intercourse and ovulation kits. My husband put on his shorts and stopped his beloved hot bath before going to bed. No.
Then, we did some success in fertility drugs and intrauterine insemination. I went back to my mother's church and was smeared with oil to pray for conception. No. We tried "Don't try." We went on vacation and tried to "relax" - if there is, this is a real contradiction. Then I did a few rounds of acupuncture. I am also a feng shui bedroom. For those who may not know what those are, feng shui is related to the energy that releases the room. I read somewhere where the energy of your unborn baby comes to your bed and helps to conceive and needs to be cleaned under their bed so that the baby's energy is not trapped in the box, while other things are trapped Under the bed. Clear everything under our bed and vacuum it faithfully. That didn't work. The pregnancy test result after the pregnancy test was negative.
Finally, we discussed it in vitro. At that time, the fertility specialist combined the female egg with the male sperm and implanted it into the uterus. At that time, just try - no guarantee, the cost is $25,000. In addition, the clinician suggested that I use donated eggs - which means not my own eggs - so it is not my own. This needs to be considered a lot. I briefly thought about asking some cousins their eggs, but it looks awkward.
In the process of seeking children, we finally choose to adopt in the third year or so. It is roughly the same as the cost in vitro, but the child will be guaranteed. Let's move on. Our new motto is "We have a home that needs a baby, we are looking for a baby who needs a home" - although this may become a reality.
We heard the comments. "Since you want to adopt, you will become pregnant." Because anyone who has used it knows that this is an easy way to have children. Correct? error! Anyone who once thought it was easy to adopt obviously never tried to adopt a child. This is not easy.
For two years, our lives have become an open book, including our finances, family and medical history. We have to take care of children and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid. We were interviewed separately and together. We choose to adopt internationally specific China. We updated our passport and are busy completing home studies and saving money.
Two things happened in the fifth year we traveled for the baby. First, China has changed a policy that allows more babies and children to adopt in their home country. Although this is really great, my selfish part knows that this will take us a step further.
Secondly, I have been working as a nurse in obstetrics and gynaecology for 15 years. I began to mourn the loss of experience with babies to share my body. I never thought that this would happen. However, being pregnant for months and months is incredibly frustrating and frustrating. Women are upset about "accidental" pregnancies or are happy to talk about how fertile they are. Because of pregnancy, they lament stretch marks, weight gain and sagging breasts. For me, those are not a big deal. I don't have any vanity, I will take whatever I feel for my privilege and leave my baby in my heart. This will be a dream come true.
However, it has become increasingly impossible to realize dreams. I am now 42 years old - almost old people in the obstetric world. I know the statistics. Birth defects after 40 years of age, abortion and maternal complications increased significantly. I use this information to pray for peace and acceptance - sometimes God wants me - but I can't find it. Coupled with the delay used, it becomes too unbearable.
One Sunday - On the first Sunday in August 2010, I felt more sad than sitting in the church. I can actually feel the heavyness of my body. I was alone that day because my husband stayed at home. Usually I will chat with friends before and after the service, but this Sunday, I just sat down and quit everyone. My throat feels very tight, and I burst into tears in my service. I have been thinking, "What happened to me?"
That Sunday is the Holy Communion on Sunday. I went to my priest with a holy communion and smeared with oil. Pastor Kathy looked at me with kind eyes and a warm smile and asked if I had a prayer request.
"One child," I whispered in tears. Just like I didn't ask for that one million times? ! She anointed me, prayed softly on me, hugged me, then I returned to my seat.
I was sitting in my seat, still sad and desperate, but it felt like something was open. I sat and stared at the stained glass window in front of the church. The color of the window is dark because there is no light passing through it. I sat, just staring at the window, like I am, listening to music, waiting for others to accept the Holy Communion and the anointing, so that we can continue to serve. Just like I was sitting in a church on many other Sundays, I sat.
Then, suddenly, I have an experience, I don't even know how to fully describe it. I am no longer in my body. I don't know where I am, but I am not sitting in my seat. I can't see or even hear anything. I feel warm; it feels like warm sunshine in the cold. And I am not alone. I am with him - the one who created me. I am surrounded by his love. Then, I felt this problem - it was not in my ear, but in my heart. "What do you want?" I didn't use my mouth, but responded with my soul.
"Please, only one."
Then I was hit back into my body. I feel dizzy and a little bit hot. I stumbled a few times and looked up at the stained glass window again to keep myself steady. At that moment, I saw the light through the stained glass window; illuminate it, as I have never seen before, somehow, I can feel the touch on me. I knew at that moment that God had responded to my prayers.
Three weeks later, I conducted the first positive pregnancy test. My doctor is very happy. He grabbed the calendar to calculate how far I was and when my baby expired.
"Okay, Michelle," he said. "It seems that you are only a few weeks pregnant, so you can expire on April 24, 2011."
He looked at his calendar and smiled and added: "It's so funny! You arrived at Easter on Sunday."
Sometimes God may be such a show.
I don't know why God answered my prayers. I don't know how to explain what happened to me on Sunday. I see that women are struggling every day, and of course I will not be more valuable. This is not to say that God prefers to have children to adopt for adoption. All babies are precious in his sight. Our prayer is for a baby - although he thinks it is suitable to bless us. There is this...
Orignal From: Easter and half colon
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