Thanks, Diane, I loved your insights on waiting with contentment. How very much like the Lord to make that waiting an important time, a time of maturing for the baby, though it especially gets uncomfortable at the end for the mother, the love of the child is strong. I have delivered six full term babies or even a bit late ones. The last was about 11 days over and was 24 inches, 11lbs 4 oz. but it was worth it all! Yes, he is as healthy as they come, and now almost 8. Our oldest daughter chose to wait for a courtship and is now happily married, since last Nov. They waited for the pastor to say, "you may now kiss the bride" for their first kiss and were thrilled to say that that wait was worth it! They encourage all couples to wait for their first kiss. (It helped them not cross boundaries that they did not want to cross before marriage- made it easier.) That is another kind of waiting. What is hard is the other kinds of waiting where the expected due dates are not so clear and the outcomes not so certain. I know so many have the heart ache of someone you hoped to be leaders in the church fall into fornication or adultery, but now it comes home to us. The gal we had taken into our home as a daughter up and left with her boyfriend and has not come back yet. The Word talks about the "deceitfulness of sin" and that is what we see. The couple now thinks that we kicked them out of the church and her from our home and that we have "forced" them into fornication. How facts can get so twisted! So we wait... Will the prodigals come home? Will their time away from the body of Christ work godly sorrow in their hearts and will they come to repentence? This is so much on our hearts these days. Two other couples are marrying well in the church and those events are joyful, we only wish the third had also. Then there are the waits that seemingly are inconsequential. Waiting for everyone to get into the car then getting late to church because someone was too long in their preps, waiting for everyone to get to the table while the food cools off. These are the most frustrating, irritating, because they get into the nitty gritty of the everyday experience. These are the waits I have to lean into Jesus for grace to live in victory through. I do not have it in myself. I am thrilled you can be there for the birth of the first grandchild. What a blessing. It is just like the Lord. Our worship leader was engaged to a Mexican gal here in Spain. She comes from a poor family and about two weeks ago her sister was praying and began crying. "Lord, why can't I attend Paulina's wedding? Why can't you make me like a dove and drop me into my youngest sister's wedding?" And she wept and felt a heaviness in her chest. A few days later she got a phone call from a very well known TV station iin Spain. "Would you come to your sister's wedding? We will pay your expenses, and it will be a surprise for her." Nanci got her things together, and got over the rough road, one hour's drive, then to the only bus leaving for a 12 hour bus trip to Mexico city, onto the plane where she got her first plane ride. FIRST CLASS!!! In Spain, the TV station had a hard time convincing the groom and the bride to come down to Madrid all expenses paid for a surprise that the bride didn't know anything about! Somehow her fiance convinced her and what a joyous reunion it was! So the Lord "dropped" Nanci down into the wedding, first class, like a little dove! What a blessing she has been here as she ministers so sweetly wherever she goes. Today she spoke at our women's mtg. She leaves on Tues. Just thought you might enjoy that precious miracle the Lord did for another of our sisters in the body of Christ. On the personal side, my second daughter, Laura and my mother, now 88, came for a few weeks (a dream come true that she could even travel) and decided to stay the whole summer. What a joy it is to have Gramma with us and how she (they) minister so gently too. And now you will get to be the travelling "Gramma" for your first grandchild! Congratulations. Blessings, Martha Read the original article Contentment.