Premature Dreams

As September draws to a close, I remember a week in September, 1991.  That was when a routine prenatal visit turned into a week of trying to delay the birth of my son.  It was more than 13 weeks too soon.  Although we were very anxious to meet this child, we knew that it was not yet the proper time.  All of our effort extended the pregnancy just under a week.  On Friday, September 13, 1991, our son Jon came into this world; nearly 13 weeks early and weighing 2 pounds 4 ounces. 
The next several months involved medical staff, equipment and procedures.  Organs that had not been completely formed inside the womb now needed support from machines and medicines.  I sat beside the isolet of a tiny son, who had dropped to 1 pound 13 ounces before he finally beginning to gain weight.  I could not even hold him because he was too fragile.  We had our dream.  He was a little man full of personality and containing a very strong will.  But it was far from what we had anticipated the welcoming of our new life into the world would be. 
As I reflect on this time, I think of some of the many lessons I have learned over the years.  There are things we try to rush God on.  When the answers to our prayers don’t come soon enough, we can become discouraged. We fail to remember, “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) God’s intended season for a 9 month pregnancy is best.
As many expectant parents will share, there is a ‘Can’t wait to meet the little guy’ feeling that grows as the time gets nearer and nearer.  You see the ultrasound photos, you feel the kicks and you know he is a real baby.  It just seems to be taking so long. There is a lot going on in that secret place of the womb.  As the mom of one who didn’t go full term, I can tell you that the wait will be well worth it.
Do you have dreams from God that seem to be taking longer than you expected to become reality?  Are you still waiting for the answers to prayers you have prayed seemingly 10,000 times?   Have you ever tried to move God onto your timetable instead of his?   If you answered yes to all three, you have probably walked with God for a while.  And, I might add, you are very typical.  How we handle these questions is very important.  Just as trying to stay pregnant was critical, so is holding the dream until the appointed time.
Let’s look at what having a premature child entailed for us. Jon spent the first 94 days of his life in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  The first 28 days he was so fragile, I was not even allowed to hold him.  Putting my hand the small door of the isolet let out precious warmth that his tiny body required. Therefore, until his body could produce its own heat, I had to settle for fleeting touches as I sat at the bedside watching and praying for my baby boy.  At first, a ventilator did his breathing for him and IV lines delivered his food.  He required several surgeries to take care of problems that a few more months in the womb would have prevented.
I won’t go into all the details.  Let’s just say that when I should have been experiencing kicks and back pain, I was on a roller coaster of good and bad days.  David and I were making life decisions for which we had only the recommendations of the medical staff and lots of prayer to guide us.  Our tiny guy was fighting to survive, when he should have been sleeping in a cozy, enclosed womb. There were days when we were unsure he would even pull through.  It was a long 94 days until we finally brought him home.
Homecoming was not the end of the story.  There were months of oxygen tanks and monitors in our home.  These were followed by several years of clinics and therapies to get him past the developmental delays that his early arrival created.  Our lives included a series of adjustments to accommodate these needs.  Also, there was a high risk of a recurrence, which was life threatening to me. This caused us to delay, and then never actually have, the baby brother or sister we had imagined for our son. Even now, 22 years later, my son has scars that are a reminder of that rough start to this life.
Not everything related to this experienced has been bad.  I have been able to reach out to many families that experienced similar circumstances.  Jon has a deep compassion for people who face extra challenges.  Much of who our family is today has been molded by those hard times.  God has turned a difficult time into much growth and character development.  Our trust in the faithfulness of God grew step by step.  I would not trade these valuable experiences now.  But given the choice, I would not relive them either.  I would be happy to follow God’s 9-month pregnancy plan.
Have you experienced a premature birth of a dream God has given?  Don’t be too discouraged.  You may experience some adjustments to the original plan.  There may be some extra work and even heartache. But even that is not all bad. You will learn lessons you may not have otherwise.  You will be equipped to help others in ways you never would have expected. Cling to God! He can make all things turn out well!  The new plan can turn out better than the original.   “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (Romans 8:28 AMP)

Are you waiting on a dream that seems to be long overdue?  Take courage. “For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait [earnestly] for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.” (Habakkuk 2:3 AMP)  Though it may seem late, God is working behind the scenes.  His timing is perfect.

 Whichever situation you are in, remember this promise. “And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]!” (Isaiah 30:18 AMP)  Live expecting, looking and longing for God.

One of the final lessons Jesus conveyed before he left the earth concerned the fulfillment of the promises of when he would return.  ““He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’"  (Acts 1:7 NLT)  We are not meant to know exactly when God will perform what he has promised.  We can only be sure that He will.  So do not become frustrated as you wait on God’s timing.  Do not try to hurry it along.  Just trust and patiently live life.

“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint”. (Galatians 6:9 AMP)