God is gracious. Baby adventure.

*From God’s loving heart into our grateful arms*

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,

And feel the pride and joy he brings;

But greater still the calm assurance:

This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

My favourite words from one of my favourite hymns. Words filled with hope and comfort.

I have always loved babies. I was and still am most comfortable around kids than adults. So, when I got married at 23 years, the natural expectation was a baby in a few years. However, God’s plan for us was different. 

Right from a young age, I have struggled with PCOS. During those days, the awareness was less and the treatments ineffective. This resulted in multiple doctor visits and a general fear of hospitals. We started consulting with a gynaecologist after a few years of marriage. Inspite of multiple scans, long queues, late night doctor visits, and a laparoscopic procedure there was still no progress. And our hearts were never at peace during all this. We even walked out of a fertility centre that was recommended to us without meeting the doctor. Or rather, God pulled us out since it was not what He had in mind for us. Since the hospital visits were taking a toll on me, at one point, we decided to stop all treatments. And life went on, busy with Church, work, family and friends.

However, there was a desire, deep down in my heart. When I was little, I have heard my Amma talk about adoption as something she wanted to do. That small seed probably took root and I wished to adopt even if we had biological children. When I shared this with my husband, he was immediately on board and we prayerfully took the decision to register for adoption. Our parents and siblings were also supportive when we broke the news to them. It felt like God had prepared their hearts, along with ours, to accept this decision.

Then began the long and daunting process of legal adoption through CARA. God showed us a very supportive social worker Uncle who helped and guided us throughout. We were initially told that the wait time would 1.5 to 2 years. I used to open the portal everyday to check how many referrals went out. I joined a prospective adoptive parents group where more details were shared. As things were progressing and the waiting list numbers slowly reducing, Covid hit us in full force. The entire process came to a halt. Our priorities and prayers changed. After almost a year, with everything slowly coming back to normal, the numbers started moving again. In a world where we get everything instantly, this period of waiting was challenging but the knowledge of God’s perfect timing kept us going.

After a long wait of more than 3 years, our daughter came to us a few months before our 10th wedding anniversary. I vividly remember the referral message, I was in a daily call with my team and the message suddenly popped up. I was so excited and immediately called my husband. As we read in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above”. She was indeed perfect and surprisingly, from my husband’s hometown. The next few weeks were a whirlwind of preparation and anticipation. And the day finally arrived to go meet her and bring her home. It was love at first sight for all of us. She captivated us with her huge eyes and open smile. Our hearts filled with gratitude and praise. We named her “Giana”, meaning God is gracious. She reminds us every moment of God’s abundant grace in our lives.     

The journey of parenting, though very challenging has also been rewarding. In an age of information overload, we trust in the one constant, the word of God that is teaching us every day. “If you want your children to grow up in a Christian home, make sure Christ is at home”, a valuable parenting lesson that reminds us to keep assessing our priorities. We thank God for our daughter and seek His continual guidance in bringing her up in His ways, to love and serve like Jesus.

I strongly believe that God takes us through every experience for a reason. It is all a part of His perfect purpose for us. Though our story might seem like a happy one, when compared to others, through it God has taught us to truly empathise and understand the pain, yearning and hope that fills the hearts of those waiting to be parents. At a time when adoption is still a taboo is many homes, I view our journey as a means to reach out to people like us and to guide, help and support those considering it.

Trust in God, in His timing, in His plans that are always greater than your own.

Seek His guidance, strength and grace as you navigate the unknown.

Place your desires and your future into His loving hands.

Rest in the hope that He has absolutely everything in control.

Waiting for project to Wfh

Hi everyone
I wanted to continue what i had written almost a year back 😬.
By GOD'S grace i got into a good project. the work wasnt too challenging but related to my technology. It was a project in its pilot phase for the client involving offshore for the first time if things went well they were ready to have an offshore team for other projects.
I got pregnant in January 😄 and since i was the only offshore the project did not have a odc and i was free to work from home with the work not being to stressful.
since January i never went to office and connected from home, it was so helpful for me with all the vomiting and tiredness.
By God's grace all the onshore ppl were foreigners who were very considerate i used to connect only after 11 and after 5 they would ask me to wind up.
Now wen i think about all the restless time i had to wait for the project am so grateful to God for having given me this project.
BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
so true 🥰 al we need to do is be still and trust in His plans.
We were able to complete the project successfully and now have got few other offshore teams as well 😄 but still can connect frm home 😊😉
I am planning to take ML from sept 15 and am due on sept 27..Pls keep me in ur prayers

Baby after 4 years. God's plan unfolding.

In 2014, we got married and came to the United States with a lot of questions and doubts and expectations! And as I did not work in US, I felt lonely and bored at home. Just after few weeks of marriage, one of our friends asked ‘When are you planning to have a baby’ and I just smiled and brushed away their question, but my husband told ‘At God’s time, and he is in control’. They thought that we were just giving a lame answer and we did not want to share what we were planning to them. But we actually surrendered it to God beforehand.

Anyhow this question made me more concerned especially because I had irregular periods, so I prayed the very next day for an answer from God, ‘Lord, what is Your plan for our lives’. By the end of that day I heard this from God ‘I’m planning your life’. I was thrilled and happy and great peace filled my heart, and I still could remember how happy I was that whole day and I told my husband that God is planning our life.
Days, months, years passed by, but nothing really changed, it was just the same and I did not become pregnant which made our hearts faint. Many a times I have questioned, ‘Is God really planning my life ??’. Though there was a strong promise from the Lord Jesus Christ, which encouraged me time and again, there were also days when we were so broken and discouraged. God invested this time to bring me closer to him everyday. Also God by His immense grace used that time to talk to me and reveal a lot of things. It was life changing and life transforming for me. I heard God’s voice clearly than any other time in my life. 2.5 years passed by after marriage, and one day I had a vision in which God said that my wait is over. I was very happy and was expecting a positive pregnancy test,  but God had a different plan. I had applied for a particular course to study and in which I got an admit within 2 days after this vision. I was not really focused on pursuing my masters, but God wanted me to take that route. Then God helped me to complete my masters successfully and get a job.
4 years passed by, my heart was weak. At this point of time it was very difficult to claim God’s promises and pray and we were getting tired. Again God spoke with His Word ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own insight and understanding’. I was very weak to pray a long prayer but  kept reciting this verse again and again saying Lord I trust in you and I do not want to lean on my own understanding and nothing more than that. By the grace of God I was conceived that very same month without any treatment or problem and delivered a baby girl by the end of 2018. God’s words is active and alive always, even after 4 years of waiting he did what he planned for us and even now, He is working and even our future He is holding. We thank God for His faithfulness and grace and love towards our family, All praise and glory belongs to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Many friends who studied with me said that you have planned really well, you studied, then got a job, and then became pregnant! But it is actually God who  planned our life. Thank you Jesus !!!

Three things I realized during my waiting time:
• I was too busy(studies, work, worldly things) to seek God before marriage, even though I read bible so many times and prayed, I did not spent enough time meditating God’s word. But God graciously pulled me out of the business of this world and made me realize that He is God and helped me know him more. My husband was greatly helpful and encouraged me to seek God more in all ways
• I was too focussed in my job when I was working, and started putting my trust in my work. So God pulled me back from my work and made me trust in Him
• Now I realize after having a baby life becomes busy, if we had a baby immediately after marriage, I wouldn’t have had that beautiful time spent with Jesus meditating His word

God’s plan are always higher that our plans. God is never too early, never too late, but He is always on time! Jesus never fails!
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Unexplained infertility to natural conception

I would like to share my testimony of our miracle baby to encourage others who are waiting for their miracle. We are blessed with a baby after 4 years of marriage.

We started our life together happily with God being with us and guiding us in everything. One year passed by and slowly everyone started asking why I was not able to conceive and if there is any problem. Till then, the thought of not having a baby didn't bother us. So we consulted a good doctor and took all the basic tests. Everything was just normal. For 6 months, the doctor tried to find out the issue. She couldn't find any. I was asked to take multiple scans every month, along with tablets and hormonal injections. No positive result.

I then knew for sure, the doctor couldn't do anything and it is God who can and will bless us in the right time and stopped taking medications. I prayed, *Lord, it was you who created me in my mother's womb, and only you can create a life inside me as well*. And God promised many times that he will bless us.

Still, the next 2+ years was not easy. Had to endure so much of disappointments, frustrations, stress, especially the pain caused by people's unwanted comments.

Many of my friends said that I was wasting time and asked me to take siddha medicines atleast. I decided in Jan 2017, one more year I will wait and we were sure that God will bless us before the end of the year believing God's promises. 11 months passed by.. No positive results.

By December, I had prepared by mind that I should be going for treatment from Jan 2018. But then I was constantly reminded of this verse, *God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?*

Yes he did fulfill his promise when we lost all our hope and was about to give up. To our surprise, got a positive pregnancy result just 2 days before the year ended.. Praise God for answering our prayers and fulfilling his promises in our lives.

Even the doctor was so amazed about this natural conception, without any medicines even. The entire pregnancy was very smooth by God's grace, and delivered a baby boy in August 2018. Praise be to God.

When we look back, we really thank God for those period of waiting, for it has brought us much closer to Him. Nowadays I sincerely pray for people who wait on the Lord for their miracle. Please be encouraged that God will surely bless you in the right time.
*Waiting is just God preparing you for the very best!*
*Waiting is a blessing!!*