Over the past few days the lyrics from the song Wonderful, Merciful Savior keep playing in my mind, “Here in our weakness You find us, falling before Your throne.”
When making it up the stairs to my office causes me to lose my breath, I often feel depleted, knowing I don’t have much to offer my clients. I sit there with my clients, with open hands, requesting God’s presence, His wisdom, insight and healing power. I get a front row seat, watching the Holy Spirit intervene in ways I couldn’t, even if I tried.
When Paul said he boasted all the more gladly in his weakness- I don’t know if I can say that’s my attitude in the morning after not getting a good night’s rest. But I do experience the power of Christ resting upon me as I hesitantly press on into my day.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
My limitations do not diminish God’s capacity to act. My self-reliance gets stripped away from me with each week of pregnancy, and as a result God’s power emerges more fully. Who would have thought that we get in the way?
Every morning David and I read the Bible and pray together. David said he doesn’t have to ask me anymore what my prayer requests are because recently they have been the same, that God would provide me with energy and strength, and that God would show up in my sessions with clients, providing them with what they need.
This pregnancy is such an unexpected blessing but also full of unexpected limitations.
Entering into the new chapter with David, we planned and looked forward to merging our passion for missions in Africa. We have expanded The Chambers for Life Foundation to include a partnership with East West to facilitate funding of Gospel-centered initiatives in West Africa.
David returned to full time missions with East West, and I was also brought on as an Associate Staff member. We had planned for me to travel with David to West Africa, where I could co-facilitate trainings for the local leaders and support the team. We were excited for an opportunity to be sent out as a team together this spring, but between financial constraints and my pregnancy, we knew it was wiser for me to stay home. It was deeply disappointing to not join him, and being apart for that long proved to be far harder on my heart than I ever anticipated.
I knew that God was going to use him and that this trip would be impactful for the Lord, which it was! He and his team trained over 50 Africans equipping them to plant churches in their villages, he taught them how to share the Gospel and how to make disciples. I’ve learned a lot about missions over the past year through my relationship with David and his work in West Africa.
Giving someone a fish satisfies a temporary hunger, which is an act of mercy. But teaching someone to fish is an act of discipleship. Jesus didn’t just feed the 5,000 to keep them dependent on His physical miracles; He trained the Twelve so they would have the tools, the faith, and the character to feed nations. When we equip others to grow, work, and lead, we aren’t just giving charity—we are restoring their God-given dignity and empowering them to become the providers and leaders God created them to be.
When we just hand someone resources, we can accidentally create dependency. But God created humans in His image to be stewards, creators, and workers. Teaching someone “how to fish” honors the Imago Dei (the Image of God) within them. It moves them from being a passive recipient of charity to an active participant in God’s provision. Jesus didn’t just walk around doing miracles to feed people every day (though He did multiply bread and fish when needed out of compassion). Instead, He invested three years into training a small group of people. He taught them how to pray, how to study Scripture, and how to minister. By the time He ascended, He didn’t leave behind a crowd waiting for another free lunch; He left behind equipped “fishermen” who transformed the world. True discipleship is teaching someone to fish.
2 Timothy 2:2 says,
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
When you give a man a fish, you feed one person for a day. When you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. But when you teach a man to fish biblically, he teaches his village how to fish, and the entire community is transformed. It changes the trajectory from a linear blessing to an exponential one.
This is the beautiful reality of what David and his team are accomplishing in Africa. On the trips where I can’t be by his side, I remind myself that my part in this ministry is just as vital. It requires sacrificing my comfort and the desire to have my husband home, channeling my energy into managing our responsibilities and staying emotionally grounded. By holding down the fort here, I am partnering in the work God is doing through him there.
When David felt led to return to missions full-time, I was entirely on board, fully prepared to be the financial anchor while he raised support. But God had a surprise for us: just a month later, we discovered a new little life was growing in my womb. Looking back, I see God’s sweetness in the timing; if we had known a baby was on the way, we might have been too fearful to leave the security of a steady paycheck and health insurance.
God has been so faithful to provide for us over these first six months of pregnancy. Currently, we have raised 49% of our pledged monthly support needed. As August approaches, the reality of taking maternity leave and being off work definitely brings a few butterflies to my stomach. We know God’s timing is perfect, and we are stepping into this next season with faith.
If you feel led to partner with us financially—whether through a one-time gift as we prepare for baby or by joining our monthly support team—we would be incredibly grateful. More than anything, we appreciate your prayers as our family and our ministry grow together.
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Very wise words! When we left Toledo so I could go to grad school, I anticipated three years of spiritual growth with thrilling victories, deep insights, etc. (I went to a Christian university). Instead, it was one brutal challenge after another, including an unplanned and high risk pregnancy. I changed jobs several times, and more than once we had to reach out to both our home church in Toledo and our new church where we moved for financial support. When Shari (my wife) became too sick to work a few months into the pregnancy, suddenly a project dropped into my lap and replaced her income. By the time grad school was over, I maintained a high GPA, all our needs were met, and in spite of tge circumstances, we look back on those years as some of our happiest!
We have two sons (both adults now) who got a front row seat to watch Shari and I walk/limp/crawl by faith, messy and broken many times, just never giving up or turning back, and demonstrating that faith in the face of (seeming) disaster is not irrational as it appears to the rest of the world, but the only “reasonable service” (Romans 12:2) and (in terms of mental health) the only sane response, regardless of circumstances.
Sounds like you both are going through something similar, but unique to your own journey, and reading your post took me back!