“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” - Lamentations 3:22-23
From the time I was little, all I have ever wanted to be was a mom. I used to lie in bed at night and tell God that the worst thing that could happen to me was that I would never be a mom. Fast forward 15 years and my husband and I wondered if we ever would be parents. After three years of praying, we were blessed with three beautiful children! Our prayers all of a sudden turned to heavenly requests for help because those three children all arrived on the same day!
Since finding out about our triplets, we have often been told, “God never gives you more than you can handle, so God must really trust you guys!” That statement sometimes bolstered my ego in a prideful way. I had once wondered if God would ever entrust his little angels to my care, so I was ecstatic when he finally called me to the job of motherhood. I made so many plans of how I would show the Lord I was going to make a great mom. Then, reality hit in the form of two baby boys and a baby girl! We soon learned that we had way more than we could ever handle on our hands.
In a recent sermon, the wise pastor at our church addressed the statement, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” He pointed out how this was such a self-serving thought. We would all like to think that we could handle anything which comes our way. But, of course God gives us more than we can handle! How else can he reveal himself to us and provide his miraculous blessings? Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
I never understood what God was giving me when he blessed us with triplets. God gave us much more than three babies. He gave my husband and me hope and peace throughout a high-risk pregnancy. The Lord provided strength and endurance through long nights that stretched into weeks of little sleep. He gave us the gift of growing love and appreciation for each other in times when we have never needed each other’s help more. God supplied the love and help of family, friends, and even strangers. He used our situation to let others be a blessing. We could not have survived those first couple months without constant help in our home.
Most of all, God has provided his presence in the midst of our need. I have come closer than ever before to praying without ceasing. I have learned to call out in my many moments of exhaustion and I have rejoiced over the answers to even the smallest of prayers. Our God is so good! He is our ever-present help in time of need. In the New Year, may you turn to Christ for the deepest desires of your heart and help in everyday moments of testing.
