Justin Jones / Pastor of College & Young Adult, Prayer Ministry and Small Groups Ministry Assistant
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
It was one of the many nights where I was shoveling the snow getting ready in case Janelle went into labor that this verse came into my head. We were now a couple days past due and it seemed like the baby would never come. It was kind of strange that I thought about this verse, but I think God needed to prepare me for what was ahead. I had no idea what was going to await us in the coming days: Janelle going into labor only to find out it was extended early labor over 5 days, over 30 hours of trying to get the baby out, Janelle being put under for a c-section, and the baby having trouble during the c-section and having some life-threatening issues. I remember the weight of this whole process falling on me when I was waiting in the recovery room not knowing whether Janelle or the baby were going to be ok. As I sat there crying, whether I thought it or not, this is why God had spoken that verse into my mind days before. I needed to have faith. I needed to remember that God was sitting there right beside me and beside Janelle and beside Judah. I needed to remember that He held us in His hands. And it was amazing to see the ways He worked from that day onward. We could see His hands through so many different people and situations. We are so thankful for what God did in Judah’s life and our lives, but I know there are so many out there struggling with similar or even worse things. Just remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Don’t stop believing that God can do big things in any situation!
It was one of the many nights where I was shoveling the snow getting ready in case Janelle went into labor that this verse came into my head. We were now a couple days past due and it seemed like the baby would never come. It was kind of strange that I thought about this verse, but I think God needed to prepare me for what was ahead. I had no idea what was going to await us in the coming days: Janelle going into labor only to find out it was extended early labor over 5 days, over 30 hours of trying to get the baby out, Janelle being put under for a c-section, and the baby having trouble during the c-section and having some life-threatening issues. I remember the weight of this whole process falling on me when I was waiting in the recovery room not knowing whether Janelle or the baby were going to be ok. As I sat there crying, whether I thought it or not, this is why God had spoken that verse into my mind days before. I needed to have faith. I needed to remember that God was sitting there right beside me and beside Janelle and beside Judah. I needed to remember that He held us in His hands. And it was amazing to see the ways He worked from that day onward. We could see His hands through so many different people and situations. We are so thankful for what God did in Judah’s life and our lives, but I know there are so many out there struggling with similar or even worse things. Just remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for. Don’t stop believing that God can do big things in any situation!