Be Still

Stacey Pylman

Description

A devotional to support and encourage pregnant mothers on bed rest.
They are told to 'be still.' What better time to spend with God as He helps them handle what they are given?

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

-Psalm 4:8



Pregnant mothers on bed rest are often fearful, anxious, bored, tired, uncomfortable, hurting, lonely, stressed, and feel helpless. Yet, they can only 'be still' for their unborn children. In this vulnerable state they need God most. This devotional will bring them close to God as He carries them through. Each devotion contains encouraging Bible verses, insights from a mom who has been there and felt God hold her in her weakness, song suggestions to lift spirits and prompt worship, and tips for surviving bed rest.

Sujets

• Women's Interests
• Christian Living
• Philosophie et théologie
• Women
• Devotional
• Multiples
• Devotion
• Pregnancy
• Woman
• The Women
• Mother
• Religion
• Christian

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 14 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664268173
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Be Still
A PREGNANCY BED REST DEVOTIONAL

Stacey Pylman


 
Copyright © 2022 Stacey Pylman.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Interior Image Credit: Natalie Jelsema
 
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6818-0 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6819-7 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-6817-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022910637
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 06/29/2022
Contents
A Note from the Author
 
1.This Is a Season, Not Forever
2.The Author and Creator of Life
3.A Mother to Your Unborn Baby
4.The Days Are Long, but the Years Fly By
5.Why Is It Called “Morning Sickness”?
6.Just Keep Praying
7.Why Me?
8.How Do I Choose a Name?
9.The Healing Power of Music
10.God Loves Life
11.How Big Is This Baby Going to Get?
12.God’s Work within You
13.This Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint
14.Unable to Care for My Family
15.The Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to Such as These
16.Getting Bad News
17.What Good Does Worrying Do?
18.We Are Family
19.It Should Be Called “Bed Restless”!
20.Bed Worship
21.God’s Helping Hands
22.Drink, Drink, Drink!
23.Nurses Are a Gift from God
24.Tell Me Everything Is Going to Be OK
25.You Are Sacrificing out of Love
26.Facing Trouble
27.Praying for a Big Ask
28.Hope and Trust Cast Out Fear
29.Food and Hunger
30.Friendships
31.I Can’t Get Comfortable!
32.Let Go and Let God
33.Shine Your Light
34.I’m So Bored
35.I Feel like a Useless Blob!
36.The Bills Keep Coming
37.Why Even Ask?
38.Laughter Just like a Medicine
39.Our Good Shepherd
40.This Is beyond What I Can Bear
41.I’m So Lonely—Where Are You?
42.Waiting in Hope
43.You May Be Weak, but He Is Strong
44.Mission Possible
45.I Feel like Crying All Day
46.Loving Someone You Haven’t Met Yet
47.When God Says No
48.I Miss My Man!
49.I’m Sick and Tired of the Same!
50.I’m So Human, and They’ll See!
51.His Mercies Are New Every Morning
52.It’s All Too Much!
53.You Gotta Have Faith
54.Miracles
55.Why Don’t They Understand?
56.Home
57.Bed Rest Is Like Waiting for Paint to Dry
58.My Poor Body!
59.When Will This All End?
60.Preparing for Arrival
61.You’re Welcome
62.Hitting the Wall
63.Wound Healing
64.Protect This Child
65.Isn’t It OK to Be Crabby?
66.Pregnancy Perseverance
67.Healing Hands
68.Struggling with Big Decisions
69.Let Me out of This Prison!
70.Labor Pains
71.Just Enough Light
72.Struggling with Inner Conflict
73.Finish Strong
74.Thankful during Trials
75.Strength Will Rise as We Wait on the Lord
76.The Weight of It All
77.The Pain of Childbirth
 
Be Still Christian Song List
Dedication
I dedicate this devotional to my three wonderful daughters. You are extraordinary gifts from God. I am so glad He chose me to be your mom. Someday you will face challenges that will feel impossible to overcome, but if you look at the very beginning of your lives, before you were even born, you can see that God has always had a perfect plan for you, and He will carry you through.
With Love,
Mom

A Note from the Author
I lived in the hospital for eight weeks on bed rest before giving birth to my triplet girls in 2006. The days were long and often very uncomfortable. I was plagued by worries and just plain tired. What got me through was my faith in God.
Living on bed rest was a very hard, soul-searching, and remarkable time in my life. I started having contractions while twenty-six weeks pregnant with triplets. I went to the emergency room, not knowing it would become my new home for untold weeks. Even after I was admitted, I thought they would get my contractions under control, and I would leave again. However, the doctors felt it was best that I stay under their watchful eyes. I knew it was the best place for me, but I never thought I could do bed rest for that long. What I didn’t realize was that I wasn’t going to do it; God was. It was my faith in God and His care that brought me through the challenges of bed rest. He cared for me through my nurses, doctors, visitors, family, and friends. The verses my friends and family shared with me during bed rest became very cherished words that helped me through the tough days ahead.
Years after my girls were born, God put the desire on my heart to write a devotional for women on bed rest. I wanted to share with these brave women encouragement from the scripture, words of comfort from someone who had been there, and the love of Jesus. I slowly began writing devotionals when my daughters were three years old. Obviously, carving out time to write with young triplets was difficult. When my daughters reached kindergarten, I decided to go back to school. School and work slowed me down even more. Yet God still had plans for this devotional. So many women were going to be on bed rest who needed to hear words of comfort from their God. It is when we or our children are helpless, vulnerable, and scared that we find the most comfort from God—that is, if we let Him. Again, God put the desire on my heart to continue writing.
I pray you are blessed by the words of encouragement found in this devotional. I hope the Bible verses, my stories, the songs, and my bed rest survival tips provide encouragement for you as you spend your days on bed rest. I leave you with these words:
God doesn’t give us what we can handle;
God helps us handle what we are given.
You are loved, and you can do this!
—Stacey Pylman, PhD, and mother of wonderful triplet girls


1
This Is a Season, Not Forever
But I trust in you, O Lord; I say “You are my God.” My times are in your hands.
—PSALM 31:14–15
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.
—ECCLESIASTES 3:1
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
—2 CORINTHIANS 4:18

How will I ever survive being on bed rest? There is no way I will stay sane lying there day after day! I thought before being put on bed rest. When the day finally came, I realized it was something I had to do for a while. It was for the good of my babies, and I had no choice. I actually felt safe there because it was safe for the babies.
The key for me was remembering it was only for season—in my case the summer season. I remember sitting in my hospital room and watching the summer days slip by one after another. I mourned swimming in the lake, feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin, taking long walks, and celebrating the Fourth of July. I often joked that it was the summer that never was, but I knew I had many more summers ahead of me—summers with my babies.
Many times in life, God asks us to endure hardships for a season. Sometimes it is a season of doing without, sometimes a season of mourning, loneliness, or pain. Whatever the season, God promises these things: He will be there with you during this season, this season will not last forever, and out of this season, He will bring good. This season, your time on bed rest, is in His hands.

“Every Season” by Nichole Nordeman
“Seasons” by Hillsong Worship
Bed Rest Survival Tip

Make a countdown calendar. Nothing feels better than crossing off a day or week. Write your gestational weeks on it and watch your progress. Write down special visits, parties, or events coming up so you have something to focus on and look forward to. Put your due date on the calendar so you can visualize the end goal.
2
The Author and Creator of Life
With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.
—GENESIS 4:1
Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and