We are 17 1/2 weeks pregnant and I am finally starting to show, or should I say, my belly finally looks like I have babies in it rather than just too much nachos & junk food! My first trimester was not at all what I expected. I was so tired all the time and had a constant nausea. Thankfully, I have not thrown up! But it has been so different than I pictured in my mind. I guess I always imagined being pregnant as a time you always have the "glow" inside and out? I mean, after all, there is life inside of you and it is the most exciting time of your life right? Well, the other day I was laying down and daydreaming about our babies, our future and getting excited about our life. I began to think about the past 17 weeks and how I had experienced great days, sad days, days where I felt pregnant, days where I felt fat, days where everything made me laugh, and days that everything made me cry. I discovered just how fascinating and detailed being pregnant and preparing for life truly is. I started to see a pattern between my physical babies and my spiritual babies, my children and my dreams.
BJ has always said, "what God does in the natural he also does in the supernatural." I thought about that while I was laying down and God began to show me the parallel between what He is birthing in my naturally and what He is birthing in me supernaturally. So, maybe you are not pregnant with twins like me, but I know that God is conceiving dreams, purposes, visions, inside of you that are in a process of being birthed.
When I first had a thought that I was pregnant, I went to a website entitled, "You Know You Are Pregnant When." It had a listing of symptoms that if you had been experiencing, the chances of you being pregnant were likely. It also went on to talk about the early stages of pregnancy, and just how important and critical it was to take care of your body if you were in fact pregnant.
So, if you have any of these symptoms, the chances that you are pregnant, spiritually is likely!
1.) You are being STRETCHED- Are you in an uncomfortable season? Are you feeling like you are being stretched in ways you didn't think you could? Well, being stretched is a critical part of pregnancy... you need ROOM for your dreams to grow!
2.) You are feeling FATIGUED- Are you feeling so excited about your future, your dreams that you feel stuck and unable to move? Are you feeling like you are having a hard time being motivated to pursue the things inside of you? Resting is an essential part of pregnancy, it is your quiet place where God can speak to you!
3.) You are feeling IMPATIENT- Are you on a countdown to see what you have dreamed about come to pass? The process of your dream is essential. Dreams who go full term do NOT need to be sustained by other things and resources, but are healthy and fully developed. Going to the doctor today and starting to push is NOT the best thing for your dream...enjoy the process!!!
4.) You are feeling EMOTIONAL- Are your emotions all over the place? Not only are you changing spiritually, but you are changing mentally. Your old mind sets, ways of thinking must change in order for you to fully embrace your future. Don't view this as a negative thing, but rather what is necessary for you to sift out what is God, what is not! If you are feeling insecure in yourself or your dream, remember just because you can't always feel a kick doesn't mean you are not pregnant. TRUST!
5.) You are experiencing CRAVINGS- Often times your body begins to crave things you are lacking. What are you craving? As you prepare to birth what is inside of you, it is important that you fuel yourself with HEALTHY things as well as raise your caloric intake "spiritual intake" in order to nourish your dream. What worked before will not work in this season!
* CAUTION* If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, your chances of being pregnant are likely. Being pregnant with a God dream will not always feel awesome and amazing, but there is a necessary process you must go through in order to see your dreams birthed healthy, secure, not lacking anything! Seek Him, have confidence in what he has spoken, don't remove yourself from uncomfortable situations, and most of all be EXCITED....because you are PREGNANT!!!
"Your dreams are your offspring."- Jentezen Franklin
