Preparing The Fields

I just watched the movie "Facing the Giants" the other night.  Have you seen it?  It is a heartwarming, inspirational movie about a high school coach who is facing different challenges in his life including his job, his football team, finances and family, including infertility.  All hope is almost lost in his battle against fear and failure until a challenge is thrown at him, daring him to trust God to do the impossible.  Here's a trailer of the movie.

I really like this movie.  There are a lot of good messages and inspiring moments.  Sure, for the savvy movie watcher, the movie plot is fairly predictable.  But that's not the point.  There are many good lessons taught in this movie, including faith, respect, love, and above all, it's not about us, but it's about God.

At first, I noticed the acting wasn't Oscar worthy.  But that is because the movie was produced by a church in Georgia.  That totally surprised me.  When I checked out the movie from our church library, the lady recommended that I watch the special features (I always do anyway!).  None of the actors in the movie are professional actors.  The movie was produced using mostly volunteers, and members of the church.  In fact, most of the main characters of the movies were actually pastors of the church (you can see this in the special features of the DVD), and the rest were church members, and most of the football players are or were players of the high school football team.  That's pretty impressive for a church to produce a movie like that.  Go to their website to find out more about this movie.

One of my favorite quotes of the movie was, "If we win, we praise Him (God).  If we lose, we praise Him".  It really hit me that in our TTC journey, we need to praise God, no matter if we "win" or "lose".  Will I praise him if our IVF outcome is negative, again?  I sure hope so.

My favorite part of the movie was when the main character, Coach Taylor is told that God is using him to do great things.  However, he doubts it and does not see God at work.  He is told this story:

There were 2 farmers who desperately needed rain.  Both farmers prayed for rain, but only one went out to prepare his field for rain.  Which one do you think trusted God to send rain?  The one that prepared for the rain, of course.

Which one are you?

God will send the rain when HE is ready.  You need to prepare your field to receive it.

After TTC for a few long years, I am tired.  I'm sick of all the things we are supposed to do,  or not supposed to do.  Like take prenatal vitamins, avoiding coffee, eating healthy, avoiding alcohol, and the list goes on and on.  All the surgeries, the appointments, the medical bills, the stress of it all.  Sometimes it feels so hopeless, and I just want to give up.  I want to go back to being "normal".

But these things I'm doing, they are all preparing the field for rain.  And in my case, preparing myself for a baby!

God will send the baby when HE is ready.  My job is to prepare myself to receive it.  I have to make sure that I am ready when He is.  I have to be faithful in doing my part.

So, have you prepared your field for rain?  What have you done?