“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.”  -Isaiah 40:31

I was sitting in my basement with a group of women on a Monday night, watching a Beth Moore video. I went through the motions, filling in the blanks in my workbook, but my heart was aching. As I wrote the words on each page, I stared at them, feeling numb. I was dried up, weary, and fighting against the truth that I knew I should be believing. I wanted to surrender my desires and long for God’s will to be done, but it was so hard. I was in the wilderness. For the past 24 months, my husband and I had been trying to conceive. Every single month it seemed like we were plunged more deeply into a wilderness season, and this Monday night felt like every other Monday night before. I had no idea the next morning that my entire life would change forever. In a matter of hours, a positive pregnancy test would be in my hand.  My strength was so close to being renewed, but I didn’t know it. I was so close to being able to ‘run again and not grow weary,’ but I had no idea what was coming.

I guess that’s the mystery of walking with the Lord in the wilderness. You can be close to a turn in the road that will change your trajectory, and yet unable to see it because of your current viewpoint. The wilderness isn’t a marathon with mile markers along the path telling you which way to turn and indicating that the race is almost over. The wilderness is an uncultivated, uninhabited place. But God! He is busy working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). He sees what we don’t see.  He has a fully sovereign, way up high, bird’s-eye view of our story! This is exactly why we need to know the truth in God’s Word. The wilderness is full of battles, and often the hardest battles are the ones that happen between our ears and in our hearts. When the going gets rough, we must have a storehouse of truth in our hearts so that we don’t fall for the lies the world or our own hearts will try to sell us.

Looking back at this journey, I can see God’s faithful hand all over it. But while we were inside the wilderness, it was exhausting. Still, God gave me the strength to be a warrior in the wilderness. A tired warrior, but a warrior nonetheless. Did I feel disappointment? Yes, absolutely.  It was a battle to fight against the lies entering my mind telling me I should just give up hope. But instead of giving up hope, my perspective was changing. My husband and I started changing our prayers. Some days we simply cried out, “Please just change our heart’s desire. Your will be done, not ours.”  Some days felt like I was just going through the motions to stay fully armored in God’s truth. I’m so glad that I did because often those motions were like deposits of water into my dried up soul. I trusted that pressing into God in obedience was a blessing to my heart even in the midst of the struggle.

Being on the other side of that particular wilderness season now, I want to lift your chin and encourage you to find your people and to love them well.  No pain ever goes wasted for the Kingdom’s sake. One group of people I consider “mine” are those who have gone through the wilderness of infertility. We understand each other.  We can have true empathy for one another, even as we cry to the Lord together. Even so, infertility was just one chapter of the wilderness in my story. I know it won’t be the last. I am grateful that there are many who have gone before me, and I am hopeful for those who will come after me. The load that we bear in the wilderness is lightened as we remember that we are never truly alone. We are all on this journey together.

If you find yourself deep in the wilderness and feel all alone, perhaps it’s time to ask God to send help from one of His people. If you are on the other side of the wilderness but have played it safe and kept it to yourself, can you shift gears and lend a helping, loving, or praying hand? What if we did something radical together and changed our prayers from “Lord, give me…” to “Lord, show me who to help?”

We are blessed to be a blessing. Let’s stand up together and agree, in this moment, that one way that we can ensure that no pain goes wasted is by reaching out to someone else who is in the wilderness. My prayer is that you will be brave and courageous to look for a way to love others in a wilderness season. God has made you for it, designed you for it, and He will provide for you as you faithfully step out to care for others. So, friend, this is your call. Ready, set, go! Time to rock and roll! Go out there and be a first-responder in the wilderness for the sake of the Kingdom, and in the name of Jesus.

Kristen lives in Michigan with her husband and two children.  She loves excel sheets almost as much as she loves Jesus, which is why serving as the event director for Revelation Wellness brings so much joy.  She has a passion for investing in women and helping them walk freely in their true identity.  You can learn more over at HeIsMyLight.com

Thank you for reading along on the Revelation Wellness Blog this week!  This month, we are learning what it means to #bravethewilderness in God’s presence and love. Feel free to drop us a note about your wilderness story, at testify@revelationwellness.org. Your testimony brings God glory!

Have you heard of the “Heir to the Crown” Challenge? This is a pick- your- own- price, faith and fitness challenge. We are calling ALL the women of God to grab their crowns, pick up their swords, and get back what the world has stolen; our identity as priceless, unrivaled, royal daughters of God. To learn more and join the challenge visit the Heir to the Crown page.

Workout with us in this #wednesdayworkout! For more workouts like this, partner with Revelation Wellness for at least $10/month and receive RevWellTV!

MICHELE’S POWER YOGA – “DREAM”