Disruption

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Babies come out crying because they’re upset! They’ve only known the comfort of the womb. Leaving what’s familiar is hard—it’s usually not something we want, at least at first. And birth? It’s messy. Painful. Even when it’s beautiful, it’s not pretty.

But this is how growth works. We get pushed out of what’s comfortable and placed somewhere new. God won’t bless you here with what He’s planned for you there. If He gave you your there-blessing while you were still here, you’d never leave.

So sometimes, when it feels like your prayers aren’t being answered, it might be because the blessing doesn’t fit where you currently are. It’s not that God is being mean—He’s being a loving Father. You can’t learn to walk if you’re always being carried. You have to take steps to grow.

It takes effort to move from where you are to where you’re meant to be. God isn’t keeping your blessing from you—He’s just placed it there, right in the middle of where He’s leading you.

But the space between here and there is uncomfortable. It’s a place of transition. Just like a baby moves from the womb to the birth canal, it’s tight, dark, and painful. But you can’t stay in the incubator forever.

Embrace the shift. The best is on the other side of birth.

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Adapted from “Birthing Bigger” in 100 Days of Believing Bigger by Marshawn Evans Daniels (DaySpring, 2020).