Pastor Kris writes about patience this week and before their struggle with infertility, she hadn't had to wait on God under any other circumstance. She learned so much and is encouraging us with her experience. She and our Fame Pastors will be walking us through the power of the fruits of the Spirit this Spring. 

²² But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 Amplified Bible (AMP)

My nine year-old daughter is wonderful in all the best ways. She’s sweet, kind, loves hard and adores people. She’s everything I ever prayed for and I’m in awe that God so specifically answered my specific prayers for our girl, down to her chocolate brown skin and her large curly hair.Call me superficial, I don’t mind. My husband and I had been through years and years of infertility and when you’ve got that much time to pray - you remember to pray about EVERYTHING.  I had journals, lists and specific requests for all the babies we were believing God for. My husband and I prayed together for the “big” stuff (i.e., Godly, healthy, highly favored, world changing, preachers of righteousness children.) About seven years into our journey, after much counsel from our wise and wonderful pastors, we decided to adopt a baby girl from Africa. We started praying specific prayers for her, and of course I secretly prayed for the “other” stuff like dimples, big hair, gorgeousness in general including a beautiful singing voice, and all kinds of manner of specific superficial attributes. Praying was faith lifting and dreaming was fun!Now, I wish I could say that on our journey of infertility, I waited on God sweetly and graciously with my eyes on Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith - I can’t. There were some good days, but there were also days of despair, hopelessness, and gut wrenching tears. What I can say though is that my experience fighting infertility changed my life for good. I’m never going to be the same. I’m so thankful for the community of believers who surrounded me with their love and prayers. I’m so thankful God taught me how to trust Him. How to believe His word. How to fight in the word. How to wait on Him when things didn’t happen on my timeline. He taught me PATIENCE.Patience is “the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like” (Dicitionary.com). Synonyms of patience include words like “forbearance” and “long-suffering” … yikes. Until our struggle with infertility, I don’t think I’d ever had to actually, I mean, actually...wait on God under any circumstance. My life had been pretty straightforward. Growing up, I let my brother get in all the trouble, I got good grades, went to college, met and married my dream guy, moved to our dream city with my dream guy, found our dream church, went law school, got a dream job, life was good and was going as planned. (I’m a planner.) Phase one, done.In phase two, my plan was to get pregnant and have a boy child, then get pregnant three years later and have a girl child. Then I was going to get my body back into shape, toned abs included, climb the corporate ladder, help build a thriving women’s ministry (yay!), live in a beautiful home in the suburbs where my perfect little family of four would be perfectly snuggled. My husband and children’s souls would be nourished by my wonderfulness. I envisioned my life against a back drop of Duke Ellington softly playing, pleasant candles burning, well worn leather bound works of fiction at my disposal and gourmet meals at the dinner table every evening. Why, but of course I had “gourmet chef” on my list of personal goals.The only problem with phase two of my plan was that the getting pregnant part didn’t work out the way it was supposed to. The first year went by, then the second year went by, then the third year went by, then the fourth, then the fifth...  Friends my age began to have children, then friends younger than me began to have children, then it seemed babies were starting to have children.As time progressed, everyone seemed to move on and I felt so alone, so left behind. I became sad and desperate and launched a quiet little pity party. I invited God to my pity party, but He did not come. I invited my husband to my pity party, but he wouldn’t attend either.  My pity party was a sad little party and nobody came.One day, God graciously interrupted my pity party and challenged me to fast and pray instead. I’m glad to say I took on His challenge. Thank God He doesn’t give up on us even when we give up on Him. Thank God He sent me friends who did not give up on me. They prayed for me and believed with me and helped pull me out of my pity party. (One of my friends, Pastor Tami, pulled me out of the pit by literally sitting with me for hours and encouraging me. She would always say  my future Ethiopian daughter was gonna be beautiful and that I was gonna birth twins 🤣) During my twenty-one day fast, I learned how to how to search out the scriptures for God’s promises. I learned how to stand on the word for my promises. I believe something happened on that fast, something propelled us in a different direction. I learned how to really, really trust God, and how to declare His word over my life. I learned to rejoice in my suffering and to lift my hands in praise on a Sunday during worship having just started my period when I thought this was the month. I learned how to love my friends who were living my dream. I became so thankful for what I did have and I stopped focusing on all that I didn’t have. For me, it was a great accomplishment to attend a baby shower and to feel genuine joy for my friends. God taught be how to bear my pain, my misfortune, my annoyance without complaint, but with joy. This was my real phase two, and it was amazing. Phase two became a season of BIG faith, a season of believing for the impossible. My husband and I began to tithe and give offerings on behalf of our future children, we bought adorable outfits in anticipation of their arrival and told anyone who would listen that we were going to have a family.I look back now and I realize God was teaching me HOW TO WAIT. I waited for my promises in grattitude. I passed the test. I know God was pleased by my faith.I know because He answered our specific prayers for our amazing gorgeous girl, Elisabeth Fetenech. He answered my specific secret prayers too.Then God answered our specific prayers for my pregnancy with our super talented handsome Ethan and Noah. He answered my specific secret prayers for them too.Then God answered our specific prayers for my second pregnancy with our gorgeous baby girl Tochi. He answered my specific secret prayers for her too.I’m overwhelmed by His faithfulness. I’m overwhelmed He would so lovingly pull me out of the pit and teach me His ways.  And you know, our phase two includes some Duke Ellington, a few good books, a gourmet meal here and there, and  loads of laundry and pizza and some candlelight and a ton of Legos and weird toys and spiritual growth and I wouldn’t want it any other way.Can we help pull YOU out of a pity party? Love you,Kris Ekwueme