Daily Devotionals
Friday, May 10, 2024 (Ashley)
This picture makes my heart sing! I snapped it yesterday afternoon and it sums up summer life at our house perfectly 
Many of you are aware that my husband and I have struggled with infertility. In fact, we struggled for four years before our daughter was born and have continued to ever since. My husband's brother, on the other hand, has five kids who happen to live right next door. I’m not going to lie, my heart was pretty heavy as they continued to celebrate pregnancy after pregnancy over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I was so excited to be an auntie again… and I mean this truly! Anyone who knows me knows that “Auntie” is one of my favorite roles. But, another role I cherish most is being “Mom” and as they brought home each baby, I was reminded that we weren’t.
However, here we are, seven years later with a yard full of kids ranging from age 14 to 5, and it’s clear to me that God knew exactly what he was doing.
These kids love being over as much as we love having them
These kids need us just as much as we need them 
These kids appreciate our love just as much as we appreciate theirs 
•Would I have this much love to give if I had more kids? Probably.
•Would I enjoy the chaos they bring as much if I had more of my own? Maybe.
•Would I have enough time and energy to pour into them? No way.
Now, I’ll be honest, there were moments in the past when I didn’t appreciate all this as much as I do now. But a few years ago, God got ahold of my heart and it’s like he shined a bright light on our situation and allowed me to see it through his eyes. Eyes of pure love, gratitude, and gratefulness. Since then, I really do appreciate these small moments. I know that we’ll never get them back again and that they truly are gifts!
Our study this week taught us about the beauty of vision while walking in a hard situation. And our yard being full of these kids IS MY VISION! I see them gathering around the fire as teenagers. I see them playing their own kickball games as young adults. I see life with them always.
You see, God took something so difficult in my life and he didn’t give me what I asked for. He gave me something so much more. He gave me what I needed.
Friend, if you’re walking through a hard situation, I share this to encourage you that there is GOOD on the other side of it. It might not turn out the way you’re hoping for but by putting your trust and faith in Jesus, you can rest assured knowing it will be so much better than anything you can imagine anyway.
Ashley
Many of you are aware that my husband and I have struggled with infertility. In fact, we struggled for four years before our daughter was born and have continued to ever since. My husband's brother, on the other hand, has five kids who happen to live right next door. I’m not going to lie, my heart was pretty heavy as they continued to celebrate pregnancy after pregnancy over the years. Don’t get me wrong, I was so excited to be an auntie again… and I mean this truly! Anyone who knows me knows that “Auntie” is one of my favorite roles. But, another role I cherish most is being “Mom” and as they brought home each baby, I was reminded that we weren’t.
However, here we are, seven years later with a yard full of kids ranging from age 14 to 5, and it’s clear to me that God knew exactly what he was doing.
These kids love being over as much as we love having them
These kids need us just as much as we need them These kids appreciate our love just as much as we appreciate theirs •Would I have this much love to give if I had more kids? Probably.
•Would I enjoy the chaos they bring as much if I had more of my own? Maybe.
•Would I have enough time and energy to pour into them? No way.
Now, I’ll be honest, there were moments in the past when I didn’t appreciate all this as much as I do now. But a few years ago, God got ahold of my heart and it’s like he shined a bright light on our situation and allowed me to see it through his eyes. Eyes of pure love, gratitude, and gratefulness. Since then, I really do appreciate these small moments. I know that we’ll never get them back again and that they truly are gifts!
Our study this week taught us about the beauty of vision while walking in a hard situation. And our yard being full of these kids IS MY VISION! I see them gathering around the fire as teenagers. I see them playing their own kickball games as young adults. I see life with them always.
You see, God took something so difficult in my life and he didn’t give me what I asked for. He gave me something so much more. He gave me what I needed.
Friend, if you’re walking through a hard situation, I share this to encourage you that there is GOOD on the other side of it. It might not turn out the way you’re hoping for but by putting your trust and faith in Jesus, you can rest assured knowing it will be so much better than anything you can imagine anyway.
Ashley
