Welcome to week two of Advent and our second post of our Advent Series. Today our post has been written by Jessica Penner from Smart Nutrition. You might remember her from the recent Platforms and Purpose interview. She is sharing her story around the lessons we can learn that help us to receive peace.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

Three years ago I was blessed with a peaceful pregnancy. It wasn’t a problem-free pregnancy but it was wrapped in peace.  Then at 32 weeks I nearly went into premature labour. A few weeks later a drop in heart rate was detected during a regular midwife appointment and I was sent to the hospital.  I was in and out of triage a couple of times at 39 weeks and nearly induced.  At 41 weeks our beautiful baby boy was born… under the careful watch of the resuscitation team as his heart rate was dipping dangerously low.

But throughout all this, my heart, mind, and soul were at peace.

I wish I could say that the peace came naturally but it didn’t. Philippians 4:6 makes it sound so easy with its command: “do not be anxious about anything.” Umm, okay sure, I’ll just not be anxious…. Yeah, right. I wish it were that easy.

So how did I get blessed with a peaceful pregnancy?

It all started with a lesson in trust.

You see, for about a year before I became pregnant, I was in a state of desperate longing to become a mother. Witnessing about fifteen of my friends become mamas during that time didn’t really help my longing much. Each month was a rollercoaster of emotions: hope mounting, mounting, mounting, and then crashing into despair.

Most other things I’ve wanted in life, I’ve just had to work hard in order to achieve something. This was different. I couldn’t just will myself pregnant. It was really humbling. God used the experience to teach me to trust in him. Each month of despair he was showing me that he was in control, not me.

So when I eventually was gifted with a pregnancy, I had been moulded by the potter to trust him. With each pregnancy scare, instead of turning into a puddle of worry, I was able to cast all my cares upon him.

Advent is a season of waiting and of anticipation. I needed to wait and develop trust before receiving peace. It’s easy to anticipate. It’s not easy to wait. But the reward is so worth it.

Recently a friend, who’s also a new mama, asked me “Don’t you worry so much more now that you’re a mom? I worry about every little thing regarding my kids!” I was happy to answer that, surprisingly; I worry less now that I’m a mom. I went through the fire and the waiting to get there but now I know that there’s only so much I can do as a parent. I can rest in the peace of knowing that God is there to guide us through all the ups and downs of life.

I’m so thankful that Jesus came to earth to give us peace. It’s one of my greatest treasures.

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