A dead end on Miracle Avenue-Jessica Browning's testimony

15 years in the making of a miracle! You don't want to miss this very special testimony. Jessica Browning shares her personal story of trusting God and holding onto her faith during the waiting room of her life. She gives us insight into how she overcame the struggle that ultimately led to her blessing. This is a good one, folks! Listen and be encouraged.  

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Shining the Light Podcast. I'm your host, Keisha LeBron. Thank you so much for joining us today. So I have a treat. Today we're doing an interview with an old friend. Her name is Jessica Browning. I knew her when she was Jessica Sandlin. We've known each other for many years. We haven't seen each other in quite a while, but I used to stay at her house years ago. She was I was a new Christian and Jessica sent her hand of friendship to me. It meant a lot to have a friend in the faith. I still remember those times listening to Odyssey and making those Pillsbury sugar cookies with the designs on the top and going to the mall together, visiting other churches. It was so fun and memorable. I was just tagging along with her and her new husband. I was a third wheel, but I was too young to realize it, you know. Lots of good memories there. Um so everybody, welcome Jessica Browning. And I want Jessica to tell me a little bit about herself, tell the audience, you know, whatever you want to tell us today. Um, help them to get to know you better and tell us a little bit about your childhood, um, how you came to Christ, and any fun memories that you have from when we stayed together.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Well, first off, thanks so much, Keisha, for having me. It's an honor to be on your podcast. I love Let Light Shine podcasts. Um, and I definitely have so many wonderful memories with you for sure. And you were not a bad third wheel. Like you said, that kind of a that'd be a bad thing. No, you were so much fun to be around. We loved having you. And I remember the shopping. I remember, of course, um, a lot of times we'd go over to my parents, we'd go swimming. And one at a time we were actually at my parents', we got out of the pool and we had been talking like about my wedding or something. And so happened, my mom had my wedding dress there at her house. I don't know if you remember this, but we had you trying on. I have pictures.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Okay, so I totally do not remember that. I don't remember that. She says she still has pictures. I cannot believe it. And uh, I gotta see those pictures. That's that's pretty funny. That actually, and this is a little bit off topic, but that reminds me of a funny story. Um, so Jess may not know this, but when I was getting married, uh, so they start the wedding march and they open the doors, and here comes uh a dear sweet little sister from the church that walks into the church house as they're doing the wedding march. She had showed up late to the wedding and she went into the wrong door. And that is just a memory that we'll always have, you know, because I'm sure that my husband, David, looked down the aisle and was like, that is not the woman that I agreed to marry. It's so many fun memories. So tell us more, Jess.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

So a little bit about myself. As Keisha said, I'm Jessica Browning, I'm 37 years old. I grew up in an evangelizing home. My dad was a preacher, so I grew up in a very religious household, and that really put me on a good start as a child. I was saved and accepted Jesus into my heart at a very young age as a child. And um, I actually, through our evangelizing days, uh, we would travel the tri-state weekend to weekend, and that's actually how I met my husband. We met very young, probably like 13. Obviously, we didn't start dating then, but every time we would go back around to his church, minister there a lot, and we just always connected back up. And then once we kind of got late teens, we started dating and we dated for like four years and then ended up getting married in 2009. And so we have now been married 17 years. When we first got married, my dad at that time actually became a pastor, so that's when uh we just started helping with the work. Being newlyweds, we were helping with the work of the church here, and that's actually where we still attend church, and so yeah, church is just super important in my life. Um, and even us as a married couple, it's just what we strive to work towards, um, just our work and faith in Christ.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

So that's a little bit about Jess, and to add a little bit to that, uh, she is now a Sunday school teacher. Um, she's probably been doing that for a long time, I imagine. She's played the piano for years and sang, and I remember um all that from whenever I was younger and things. They have a big uh camp meeting now, and she's a big part of that. So lots and lots of good things that they're doing. And her oldest brother is uh a preacher. He's called to preach. I don't know how many years he's been preaching now.

SPEAKER_00 4:42

I would say he's probably been preaching at least three years.

SPEAKER_01 4:45

Yeah, so three years. And I remember um when him and his wife was, you know, dating back when, and then to see their family grow. They have three kids now, and they're in the ministry doing a great work for God. It's just awesome to see um what all the Lord has been doing in their lives. And I also wanted to mention she has an awesome boutique. I don't know how long ago she started this, but it seems like it has grown. And I heard a story about how that got started. I don't know all the details. So, Jess, do you care to um let us in on that and how God just worked in that as well?

SPEAKER_00 5:22

So, yes, I uh am the owner of an online boutique which is called Just Peachy Boutique. That's just peachy by Jess.com. Um, and I have actually been doing that for four and a half years, and that was like a God thing in that I'm not one that likes to start and do new things. I kind of stay in my comfort zone a lot. And uh that was definitely out of my comfort zone to start something like that and to have the confidence to do it. But after a lot of prayer and just, you know, wanting to be in God's will at all times, uh, a long story short, I literally got my answer at a Walmart. Someone literally came and spoke to me in an aisle in a Walmart on a random Black Friday shopping day. And God spoke through that person that I had never met before and let me know that that's what I was supposed to be doing and spoke the exact words that I was praying about and that definitely no one else would have known. And that stranger said the exact words, and that was just an amazing small part of my journey, but God has definitely blessed Jess Peachy, and I'm super thankful for that.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

That's really neat. I love that story, it just shows you how God can move in like unconventional ways. I guess we wouldn't think about just going to Walmart, doing some shopping, and then the Lord just drop the answered prayer right in our lap with somebody that we don't even know. He knows exactly what he is doing. How much better is it whenever somebody that you don't even know anything about you, anything about what you're praying about, comes to you and tells you exactly what you're praying that you need to hear, versus somebody that may know all about you and you know what you've been praying for. So God is just amazing. And you know, even in the Bible, he used a donkey. You know, he can use anybody, he can use a random person, he can use an animal. Um, just he can do whatever he wants to do. So, Jess, we are gonna get into the heart of this interview. I am so excited, like beyond excited, to share your testimony with the world. So, again, as I've mentioned, I've known Jess for years. Um, it's been many years since I've seen Jess. So there's a lot of years there. And when I heard the good news and this miracle that God gave her and her husband and their family, um, I could have just done flip-flops. I was so excited for them. And um, I was overcome with joy. And I want her to tell the audience what God is doing and um in her life, in the life of her family, and about her God-given miracle, because that's exactly what it was. And we want to share the good news with you. So just please give us all the details. We want to know everything about what God is doing.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

So, as I mentioned earlier when I was telling a little bit about myself, I mentioned, you know, that I married my best friend, and that's where the story all starts. So, as I had said, we dated for four years, starting in 2005, and we got married in 2009. Uh so we were both 20 years old. And of course, you know, when you get married, your dream is to start a family of your own. But year by year began to go by, and uh no kids. And I do want to stop and say this. Um, if you're going through infertility and you're listening to this podcast, um, I just want to remind you that every story is different, and I know that it's a very sensitive subject. I live through it. So I know what can come to your mind when you're hearing, you know, somebody else's miracle, or well, I did it this way, or I didn't do it this way, and that's okay. We don't all have to do it the same way. Our story's not all gonna be the same. So I do want to make mention of that uh before I tell my personal story. So yeah, year by year would go by, and uh after a few years, we began to realize, you know, having a child was not gonna be easy for us. So a lot would say, and we even had different people in a loving way would say, you know, you could just go to the doctor, they could give you help. And again, this is my personal story. I just always felt to keep it in God's hands for me personally. I do not see nothing wrong with going to the doctor. I go to the doctor for many things, but for that particular thing, it was very sensitive for me, and I just always felt like a pullback when I would think about maybe going to the doctor. There was just something that would always pull me back. I knew God was the creator of life, I knew he was the great physician, and I know that's hard for some to understand. Well, why would you wait so long? But again, like I had said, even about just Peachy, I always prayed for God's will to be done in my life. And that doesn't always mean it goes my way or my timing. When you're really placing your hands or your life in his hands, that means you have to go on his timing, which is definitely not ours. So, with that, I've always believed there is a reason for everything. And so I believed there was a reason for my wait. My faith was definitely tested. Um, you know, and you when you say you're gonna put your life in God's hands, well, I got tested on that, you know, and uh the wait seemed like it was never gonna end. Um, there was times that I felt like it was never gonna happen. And and I began to even think, well, maybe his will is for us not to have a child. And so I began to pray, if that is your will, then help me to be okay with that and accept that. And I didn't want to be like a spoiled little brat and cry around because I wasn't getting what I wanted. Uh, when I said that I put my faith and trust in him, I meant that. And I wanted to show him I meant that. But it wasn't easy. That does not mean it was easy, but we stood in so many prayer lines. Um, we had family and friends praying with us throughout the years. We was given uncountable prayer cloths. I could, I could probably make a baby blanket with the prayer cloths that were given to us throughout the years. Um we were even told many times that even through the Spirit that God was gonna move for us. And I held on to all of those things in my waiting, and they really helped me get through. So we're gonna fast forward to 2025. So Blake and I were both 36 years old. So a lot of years have gone by of waiting. So at that point, we have been waiting for 15 years, and a lot of life has happened without a baby. Uh, and I do have to say, our life's been wonderful. And in that waiting, life was wonderful. We created so many wonderful memories, and I wouldn't trade none of it. But of course, in our hearts, we still longed and dreamed and never gave up that hope that if if it was gonna happen, God could do it. And I I definitely want to say part of my biggest testimony, other than the actual miracle, is the perfect peace that God give me in the waiting. And it reminds me of the Bible verse, Isaiah 26, 3, Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. That is exactly that sums up my story so much because there was days it got hard. It was not always easy, and but there was days that it got hard, but I honestly can say it never lasted long. A lot of times, say if it would hit me and I would break down, usually through prayer, I would pour out my heart to him, and after that prayer, I would just always feel so encouraged and uplifted again with that perfect peace that only he can give. And I know that that peace is what got me through. I could not have been as strong in the waiting as I was without his perfect peace.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

I absolutely love that story, Jess. I mean, every aspect of it. So I can say from my personal experience, um, when I first got married, I didn't go through like what you have been through, but there was a span there where I didn't think that we were going to be able to have children either. And I had at that point in time I'd made up my mind, Lord, you know, I just want to be happy for other people when they have their children. Even if I can't feel that same happiness right now, I know that if it's your will, you can move in it. Um and I love that part about her story. I can't say from experience, but I know it must have been hard for her all of them years, uh, but she kept a good attitude. And the thing was as she went back to the Lord, gleaning from her testimony here, I heard her say she would pray and she would cry during prayer and she would get the strength and the help that she needed to go forward. And then um, you know, I'm sure that there was some setbacks during that 15 years that brought her back to her knees and and back to the cross where she needed to regain her strength again to keep moving forward. Um, but I love that God can give us the strength day by day, a daily uh walk with Christ. And she also mentioned um, you know, having a wonderful life those 15 years and having the joy of the Lord. So the fact that she was in a waiting room in the waiting period of her life, it did not strip her of the joy that she had all around her, her everyday life, just enjoying God, enjoying her family and all the memories that she can make with her loved ones, friends and family. And that's what God will do for you. Even if you're going through a really, really tough season of life, you can still have the joy of the Lord in your life. You can still have enough strength to make it through each new day. Even if you have to go down in prayer every single morning, every single night, you can do it with the help of the Lord. You can make it through. So in the Bible, uh, we're throwing different stories here, but um it was Daniel that prayed three times a day, morning, noon, and night. And when um the heat was coming against him, people were coming against him, uh, he didn't stop his routine. He still prayed three times a day. And that kept him safe in the lion's den whenever he was thrown in the lion's den. And then let's talk about Elisha. So, whenever the Shunammite woman um, you know, prepared him a room and was just very polite and kind to the man of God and and took care of him, um, he was like, What can I do for this woman? And she wasn't asking for anything, um, but he knew that she didn't have a child. So he told her that he would give her a child. And she said, But don't lie to me, man of God. Um, and it was the next season of life that you know she had a child. So God just moved for her in that way. She didn't have to wait 15 years from the time that Elisha spoke with her, but how many years prior did she have to wait before the man of God came to her and said, You're gonna have a child? And then we go on and we read more of the story. And the child later on in life fell sick and he died, and she was making her way to the man of God to take care of this matter. She she knew that the man of God promised the child and God moved in it, and she knew she could trust him, and she's heading out to meet him, and somebody meets her on the way and says, Is all well? And she says, All is well. And can you imagine that? She says, All is well when her child lay home dead? He's dead. But she gets to the man of God and she says, I'm paraphrasing here, but as my as the Lord God liveth, as my soul liveth, I will not leave thee. Elisha went. And you know, Gehazi didn't get the job done, but Elisha went himself because he knew the determination of that mother, because he remembered those same words that he spoke to Elijah. And there are many other things in the Bible that we can glean from. Just like the woman in the Bible that was very old in age, and God granted her a child. And, you know, if he did it for them way back when, there is no rule that says he cannot do it for us in this generation. He is absolutely doing miracles now, just as he did back then. So I remember a time many years ago that I had stopped in for a visit. I think you guys were in revival. I stopped in and brought, you know, my youngest daughter, I think she was about maybe two or three at that time. And just in passing, I remember saying something to you about along the lines of, well, when are you and Blake gonna have a, you know, a baby? And I remember you smiling and being so kind about it. Of course, I didn't know your situation at that time. I was just talking to you in passing. Um and looking back now, I realized, oh, well, maybe I shouldn't have done that. But you just don't know at the time. And Jess was very positive and she didn't say anything out of the way. She was just, you know, whenever, well, whenever God, you know, and God's timing. And it gave me a little bit of an insight, you know, that maybe they wanted to have children. It just hadn't happened yet. But I do remember their really good attitude about it, and that that's something that's stuck with me. So, Jess, I'm sure that I'm not the only person that had said something like that to you these past 15 years. How did you handle that? How did you feel um during that time? Just give us, you know, a little bit of detail about how you handled that, how you overcame that, and how you stayed positive through it all.

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Um, that question was asked countless times. Um, but to be honest, that question never really bothered me. I knew everybody was, you know, just curious naturally, and I knew everybody just would happily want us to have a child if that's what we wanted. And I know nobody meant any harm by any type of question like that. So it personally didn't bother me. And like I said, with God's perfect peace, he made things look different for me. My perspective, um, my attitude. And again, I don't say those things boastfully because I could not do that on my own. I say it as a testimony and all glory to God that he could give me that outlook. And anyone that is going through infertility or just in a waiting season in general, he can give you that perfect peace that gives you those outlooks where questions or things like that, you don't even think nothing of them. He just helps you right through them with that peace.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

So I want to just give a little bit of my own testimony as well. I know I mentioned previously talking to Jess, you know, she's been waiting for at least 15 years. When I was newly married, um, I didn't think that we would have children either. It had been, you know, a couple years, and I was just kind of wondering, you know, God, I didn't understand. All of the girls that were my age around me had already had children or they were in the process of having children. And I just wanted to experience that, you know. And um, I remember it was a church function sometime in the fall. It was probably our fall gathering we have every year. There was a lady in the church, an elderly lady, she's also um a prophet in the church. She had came up to me just out of the blue, she'd walked up to me and she said, Akeisha, I had a dream. She said, In this dream, I seen you holding a little baby. She said, and when I looked at you, you was looking down at that baby with so much love. And it was the next year that I had found out that I was pregnant. And actually, I was on my way to the hospital to visit my cousin who had just had her little baby girl. I had found out that morning that I was pregnant. And I couldn't tell anybody because my husband was at work. He he hadn't made it home yet. And I was like, huh, I better not tell anybody before I tell him. So I kept it all in, and I remember my cousin's husband had looked at me and he said, It'll be your time soon. And I thought within myself, oh, you don't even know. It's my time now. I was so excited. Um, I I told my husband when he got home, and it was just a wonderful time um that we had there, just a testimony that God just was letting me know he was working it out in his time, just like Jess had said. You know, even in the Bible, when Jesus came to Bethany uh to visit Lazarus's family, because Lazarus had passed away, he'd been dead for four days in the grave. And, you know, everybody thought that uh Jesus was late. He was late. Um, Lazarus had already died. They said, if if you were here, this wouldn't have happened. But he prayed to the Father and he said, you know, that they can see, I'm paraphrasing here, but that they can see your glory. He called Lazarus out of the grave and he was four days late, but yet he was uh right on time. So whether it's 15 years, 20 years, two years, 10 months, whatever it is, it does not matter. God does not work on our time, he works on his time. And so I'm just so thankful that God gave me that insight, you know, that gave me a lot of hope. That next whole year I waited before I found out that I knew that it was coming. I also remember a time I got down to pray. Of course, I was praying for this situation, and the Lord spoke to my heart and told me to prepare. That's what he said. Prepare. And so I did. I thought the baby's coming. It's gonna come sometime. I don't know when, but I'm gonna prepare. I'm gonna prepare my heart, my mind, my house. What do I need to buy? What do I need to get? And I'm gonna prepare. And he surely came through for us. So I prayed about the craziest things. Get this, okay. The true story here. I prayed that my daughter would have strawberry blonde hair like her mama. I prayed that she would have blue eyes like her mama. I pray that she would come early. I actually prayed if she's gonna come, you know, let her come earlier rather than later. I don't know what I was thinking. I was a new mother, but she came like she was born in April and she was due in May. She came exactly a month early. I mean, everything was just perfect. You know, the best delivery you could possibly have. And God granted me everything that I asked for. Funny story. Okay, so she has my hair, she has my eyes, she has my personality, poor girl. She has my appetite. And I'm telling you what, I prayed that she would be strong-willed. I don't know what I was thinking. I was okay, I tell you what I was thinking. I was thinking, I want this girl to be self-sufficient, I want her to be a strong young woman in the Lord. You know, I don't want her to have to depend on somebody. I just want her to be able to go out into the world and be a strong young woman. That's what I want. But let me tell you, she is very strong-willed. I got exactly what I prayed for. So be careful what you pray for. But no, seriously, I love my children so dearly. They're so wonderful. Um, being a mother is just a wonderful blessing. And that's just, I hope I didn't take too much from Jess's testimony. I just wanted to share that with you. Um, that God just works all things out, doesn't he? I know some people that are fostering right now. You know, they're offering a home to children that need one with a good Christian home, love. That is wonderful. If that's what you choose to do, that is wonderful. And I have no doubt, I believe, you know, their baby is on the way just in time. Um, I want to fast forward here. I want to get to out of the waiting room and into the hospital room. Let's just say it like that. We wanna we want to move out of the waiting room and into the blessing. So, Jess, just tell us what the turning point was for you and your husband.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

So, this is the fun part of the story. This is my favorite part of the story. Like Keisha said, after all that waiting, um, so here's the good news. So after 15 years of waiting, June 7th, 2025, we were at our church camp that Keisha had spoken about earlier. Uh, if you're not familiar with it, it's old-fashioned holiness camp meeting, or for short, we call it OFHCM. We were at the last day, last service, and um, it was actually my cousin, brother Dakota Smith, was preaching that night, and his message was titled A Dead Inn on Miracle Avenue. And he had made like a little homemade sign uh and stuck it out in the ground. Our camp meeting is like outdoors, it's under a pavilion. So he had stuck the sign and the gravel there as he was preaching, and um, it was just a little homemade sign, street sign, it said Miracle Avenue on it. And uh towards the end of his message, another preacher had grabbed an old outdoor rug and he placed it like in the front of the aisle and matched it up with Dakota's homemade sign, and almost in representation of like that was the street, and uh this, you know, that was Miracle Avenue. And so altar call was made, and uh one by one folks began to just walk up that rug, which was representing Miracle Avenue, and there was, you know, individuals, couples, uh, for a variety of reasons, whatever their miracle they were needing, people were walking down that rug. The power of God quickly filled the pavilion, and in that moment, my mom, and Keisha knows my mom, she is not a very she's more reserved in church, especially. Um, she kind of just stays in her place. She don't, she doesn't even sing in the mic, lonely go grab a mic. So when I seen her walk up to the pulpit and grab a, I mean, I seen the power of God all over, but I was like, what on earth is she gonna say? Like, you know, I was not expecting my mom of all people to like go grab a mic during a camp meeting of all things. And uh she grabbed that mic and she said that she felt for Blake and I to walk Miracle Avenue and claim our miracle. And she didn't say any more than that, she didn't go into what the miracle was or anything, but she said that she felt in herself to also claim that healing and miracle for us. So uh we did that. We we started walking down that old rug, and we were visualizing, you know, our miracle on Miracle Avenue. And so we began praising God for what he was gonna do. And fast forward to the end of service, the preacher that had laid down the old outdoor rug was actually brother Justin Rudisil, and he came up to us after church, and he said that when mom had grabbed that microphone and declared our miracle, that his spirit instantly was connected with hers, and he said, God showed me a baby, and I remember just as if it was yesterday, he said, You guys are going to get pregnant sooner than later. And I don't know, we had been spoken to, prayed for plenty of times throughout the years, but the it was it was different, it was different. Something shifted in me from that moment. I mean, the minute it came out of his mouth, it was something I'd never felt before. It was as if my faith was instantly increased to a whole nother level. I felt excited inside, as if it was like happening already. I had it was feelings that I had never felt before. I just knew it wasn't gonna be long. I knew it. I knew my waiting was finally coming to an end. And I was so excited, like I couldn't even sleep that night. And to show my faith in God, um, when I came back to home church when camp was all over, I vocally I stood up and vocally claimed that I believed I was gonna be pregnant by OFHTM 2026. And you know, that's a lot to say when you're not sure, but that's how confident I was that God was moving soon for us. I j I just knew it. Uh so six months later, um, that would put us at the end of December of 2025. Blake and I are 37 years old. We've waited at this point now, 16 and a half years, and we found out we were expecting. And that was some that was six months exactly from the camp meeting that we were spoken that to. And it's so funny because I can remember the very day we woke up on a Sunday morning getting ready to go to Sunday school, and we found out together that we were expecting. And the craziest thing is that when we flipped that over and it said pregnant, it was as if it happened so fast. And that's crazy to say after 16 and a half years, that is a long time. But I even I even said, I can't believe it happened that fast. And then I even like checked myself, like, girl, that wasn't fast. That was a long time. But it was as if the waiting, it was as if it was nothing. When when the miracle actually happened, all that waiting, it was all worth it. It was all worth it. It seemed as if it was nothing. It is just a God thing. And so 2026 OFHDM, which was just last month, I was able to stand up and say, I was six months pregnant. We did find out by then he is a baby boy. Uh, his name is Grayson Cole. And I am actually now, as I'm speaking, 30 weeks. So we are getting towards the end. Very exciting. And I do want to say, too, another part of just it being a God thing. And doctors automatically, if you're over 35, they just automatically say you're high risk. And honestly, I can say my doctors have said we are not treating you as high risk. There's no reason. I have had all normal appointments as if I was in my 20s, as if I've got to experience a normal pregnancy, no complications, which I'm so thankful for. It's just been a beautiful journey, and I owe all of that to God. And to me, it's just when God does something, he does it right. And I'm living proof that he's still performing miracles today.

SPEAKER_01 32:17

She's got me about in tears over here, telling me all of her testimony. I absolutely love this. And, you know, as she was talking about this, my mind was rolling over. The doctors treating her like, you know, normal pregnancy, and and she's not your typical pregnant mother at, you know, 2025. She's extended that period of time. But it's just like she said, God knows exactly what he's doing. And there was a reason for the waiting because there is a reason and a purpose for everything under the sun. The Bible tells us that. And you know, I was thinking to myself, um, in the book of Esther, when all of that happened with the Jews, and she was placed in a position of being married to the king, and Mordecai told her, you know, you you're placed here for such a time as this. If you don't know the story, please go and read it in the Word of God. Um, it's a wonderful story. And I was just thinking about that. What if the Lord placed Jess here in this situation? Because He knew that you would be listening. Um, He knew that she would cross a path with another heart that has uh experienced this or going through this and needs some words of encouragement or needs to witness her life, needs to look at her life and see how she's handled this, what God has done for her. We just never know, do we? We don't know the whole story, and we won't know the whole story until we reach heaven. Everything's just falling into place in all those 15 years, all the memories that she's made and she's had that time. And even though um she's gonna be a little bit more seasoned than some of our younger mothers, um, that's probably gonna come in handy too through the years. She's got some experience in of life under her belt that she's gonna be able to um hand that knowledge down to her child. I just love every part of this testimony. I know y'all don't want to hear me. You want to hear more about her. So let's let's move on here. Um, I just want to remind you, by the time she has this child, it will be what, just 17 years? Is that right? You're at 16 and a half now? 17 years from the time she got married until the birth of the child. So if you're at year five, six, year 10, don't give up hope. Uh it reminds me, you know, she said, I remember her saying when she prayed, God, if this if this is your will, then help me to accept that. I'm paraphrasing, but it reminded me of a time of season in my life where, and this is not about a child, but financially, we were going through a situation where I was a stay-at-home mom. I had already had uh my child at that time. And things were just getting hard, you know, the economy was getting worse. And I remember going to my prayer closet, I prayed that same prayer. I said, Lord, um, if this is your will for us to be in this position, help me to be content. Help me to accept this because I want your will. But I know that you can open a door if you choose to. And it wasn't but maybe the the following week, maybe maybe not even that long. And I got a phone call from my pastor offering me a job where I could work and take my children and everything that I needed, God just provided for me. And he just done it fast. And he said, Do you need time to think about it, pray about it? I said, Nope, I've done prayed about it, I'll take the job. And just that fast. It didn't have to be a pastor, he could have used somebody else, but it was wonderful that he did use um somebody in the faith that understood the value of family and family time and that family comes first. And that was just wonderful because that was a big concern of mine because I wanted to put my children first. And that was just that was too much there, but I just wanted to add that in. So, Jess, if you could sum up your whole experience the last sixteen and a half years in just a few words, what would you say and how would you describe that period of time?

SPEAKER_00 36:28

I would sum it up with uh a verse from Galatians 6 9. Let us not be weary and well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. I just feel like that sums up my story, what I had to go through, and not get weary in the waiting.

SPEAKER_01 36:48

God does the impossible. I'm sure in all those years of waiting you grew weary. You may have even questioned or in the least wondered why God. Why me? Why us? We just lived for you all of these years. So why did you choose us to be in the waiting? So, Jess, what would you say for the other girls, the other women out there going through what you have gone through? And what kind of advice would you give them and what would you like to say?

SPEAKER_00 37:20

I would say that I know exactly what you're going through. I live through it. I know what it feels like to go to baby showers and feel like it's never gonna be something you get to celebrate and experience. I know what it feels like to hear birth announcements and you're happy for them, but you can't understand why it can't be me. Uh, I understand what it feels like to try to avoid any type of baby department in the store. Uh just because you don't want to get your hopes all up and why feel that? Why put yourself through that if you don't have to? I know what it feels like to question why me? Why is this my story? Um, but I want to say, be encouraged. Um, there were several women in the Bible that faced long periods of infertility before conceiving, and their children fulfilled specific world-changing purposes. Sarah, she waited until she was 90 years old to give birth to Isaac, and his purpose was to carry on the covenant of God and become the father of an Israelite nation. Rebecca, she endured 20 years of barrenness before giving birth to twins Jacob and Esau. And through Jacob, the lineage of the twelve tribes of Israel continued. And then there was Hannah. She poured out her heart in prayer for years before conceiving Samuel, and he grew up to be a legendary prophet and judge who anointed Israel's first kings. And Elizabeth, she was old in her age before giving birth to John the Baptist, and he was tasked with preparing the way for Jesus Christ. They were all born for such a time and with a purpose for God's kingdom. So there is a reason for the wait, no matter how long the wait, you know, is. And I'm excited to see what baby Grayson's purpose is. I know his reason or his wait was for a reason. I know that. And I know that God's got a plan and a work for his life, and I really feel that he was saved for such a time as this. And he will do the same thing for your baby. When your baby comes along, it will have a purpose and a plan. And I think that is the best way to be encouraged that God would have such a work for your child to do.

SPEAKER_01 39:45

So it does not matter if it's a job, a physical matter, financial, spiritual. God is our provider in all these things. Don't give up hope. When it seems God is late, he's still right on time. Trust in his timing. And I have no doubt that baby Grayson is going to do wonderful things for the Lord and be such a blessing to his family. And I love what she said for such a time as this. God raises up men and women to do his work, and he has a purpose for each and every one of us in the Bible. It tells us some are for helps, some prophets, some teachers, some preachers, all of these in the ministry. Nothing is insignificant. God needs every single one of us. The Bible says, you know, if if all were the I, where would the hearing be? But we are all part of the body of Christ and we work together for unity. And I cannot wait to see Grayson's life as he grows up and to see what wonderful things that God is going to use him for. So, Jess, the last question I have for you if you could tell the world in just one single word what your life in Christ has been, one word to define a lifetime, what would it be and why?

SPEAKER_00 41:06

My one word uh would have to be peaceful. Um, and it reminds me of an old song my grandpa used to sing. And the lyrics of the chorus say, It's so peaceful in the arms of my Lord, in his presence I am sheltered from the storm. It's so good to have his spirit, it's so good to have his word, and it's so peaceful in the arms of my Lord. And the reason I would go with that word peaceful is because no matter the ups and downs of life, no matter the waiting times in life, you can have peace. You can sleep like a baby at night, knowing he is in control, he knows what's best for us, and um there's nothing better than that sweet peace, that perfect peace that I talked about earlier. And I just feel like that sums up me, that sums up my walk with the Lord and my testimony.

SPEAKER_01 42:00

Well, Jess, I want to thank you so much for sharing your testimony, not only with me, but whoever is listening to this today. It has been absolutely wonderful. And I hope that all of you that are listening out there understand and realize how awesome our God is. How can you not with testimonies like this? This is not made up or make-believe, this is real people, real problems, real solutions. We're all human and we all go through things. Um, we all suffer, we all feel pain, we all feel joy and triumph. But God has felt all of these things first. He was at all points tempted, yet without sin. So Jesus Christ knows exactly what you're going through, whether you are feeling joyful today, whether you are feeling in dis you have feelings of despair today, whether you have a spirit of fear or worry, or whether you are on the mountaintop, it does not matter. God knows you, he knows your name, and he knows your frame, and he cares so deeply about you. So, whatever you are going through today, take all of your cares to the Lord because he knows what you have need of before you even ask. And he tells us in his word to cast your care upon him, for he cares for you, and he certainly does. And if you're on the mountaintop today, do not forget to give God the praise. Sometimes when we're on the mountain, we're living life in the fast lane and everything's happening good for us. Sometimes we forget God because we don't think we need him that day, don't we? Sometimes we're guilty of that, but we need God always, on the good days, on the bad days, on every day in between. I absolutely love this testimony on Miracle Lane. Dead end on Miracle Lane. Don't give up hope, folks, because God is an on-time God all the time. So until next time, thank you again, Jez. We'll see ya. Bye bye.