I’ve been a bit discouraged lately. Okay, my husband could tell you, I had a full-blown meltdown a week ago. I just feel like I work and work and never get anywhere. Yesterday, God reminded me of the night I was in labor with my son, Rory. You see, that night I was in active labor for hours and for the second time, but I seemed to be stuck. While I’m not having a baby this time, my labor feels just as hard and I feel just as stuck.

When I was pregnant with Rory, my husband was supposed to go to the field for Army training. If he left, the chances were high he wouldn’t get home in time for the birth. Since I wanted him present, we tried inducing labor naturally. Our efforts worked and I had regular contractions for hours and dilated to 5-6 centimeters. Then my contractions slowed down and eventually stopped. In an effort to keep things going, I walked all the stairs in our apartment complex. Each of the 10 buildings was three stories high and had three sets of stairs; you can do the math on how many stairs that is, but it’s a lot for a 9-months pregnant lady.

Still, my labor slowed and eventually tapered off completely. We decided not to risk more invasive induction methods like breaking my water. Instead, we rushed around trying to get permission for my husband to postpone his training. Then we waited and waited for labor to start again. Over a week later, contractions started again and grew progressively stronger until I was once again in active labor and dilated to 5-6 centimeters. I paced the floors hoping to encourage the contractions to do their work and bring the baby. After 11 hours of labor, I still hadn’t progressed past 5-6 centimeters, where I had been stuck for at least 6 hours. It was around midnight and I was tired.

Then the unthinkable happened; my contractions began to slow down again. I was so discouraged. It felt like I would be pregnant, no matter how hard my body worked to give birth. I wanted to rest, but I was afraid that if I did my labor would stop completely. In that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly, “I am your deliverer. Nothing you can do will bring this baby before my time; and when it’s my time, nothing you do will be able to stop it from coming.” “Fine,” I retorted. “Then I’m going to rest, and if my labor stops, so be it!”

I laid on my bed and closed my eyes. My contractions were not as strong and were further apart. A few more contractions while I rested and my water broke. My son was born in a rush, only 20 minutes later.  Once he was born, we realized the importance of God’s perfect timing to keep him safe and healthy. There were many factors that were not quite right, any of which could have caused significant problems if the timing wasn’t perfect. What the Holy Spirit had spoken to me was completely true. All my walking and labor could not make the baby come before God’s appointed time, and when God said “Now!” there was not a thing I could have done to stop my son’s speedy arrival.

While this story is about the birth of my child, the Holy Spirit reminded my of it yesterday in a sort of deja vu moment. You see, we labor to give birth to many things like projects and dreams. We do the hard work of incubating our ideas and goals until they are fully developed and ready to be revealed. When it is time to “give birth,” we expect to see the fruit of our labor. But sometimes we feel stuck, like our labor is getting us nowhere. This is how I have been feeling.

I have worked and incubated and worked some more, but my efforts are not bearing fruit yet. So, the Holy Spirit pointed me back to the birth of my son and told me to rest. Working harder isn’t going to do the trick when it isn’t God’s time yet. And when it is God’s time, nothing I do will prevent the “birth” of my projects. I will see the fruit from all my labor.

What are you working on and waiting for? What projects, dreams, or goals are you laboring over? Be encouraged! When it is God’s time, you will see the fruit of your efforts.