Ingrid

Last Wednesday, RW invited my wife to a special women’s gathering at her house.  She said that God had put it on her heart to invite my wife, but that she had resisted, because she wasn’t sure that my wife would want to come.  However, God was persistent that RW invite my wife and the Holy Spirit gave her a feeling that God had plans for my wife that required her attendance.  So, reluctantly she obeyed and offered my wife the invitation.

My wife who has been reading a book by our pastor called Follow the Cloud, which talks about following God’s plan no matter where He leads your steps, decided that now was as good a time as any to start obeying, and she agreed to go.  When she got there, she was introduced to a group of women from all over the world who were mature followers of the faith.  But the one that stuck out the most was a woman from South Africa named Ingrid.

They had gone around the group and introduced themselves and were just stopping for food, when Ingrid suddenly yelled out, “I need to speak!”  RW tried to placate her to wait until after the food, but Ingrid was persistent, pointing at my wife and saying, “I need to speak to her right away.”  My wife was shocked by this to say the least, but even more so by what Ingrid said next.

“You have an egg.  A boy.  Correct?” 

My wife looked at RW in confusion.  “What did you tell her?” she accused.

RW raised her hands in innocence.  “Nothing, I swear.”

Ingrid repeated her words.  “You have an egg.  It will be a boy.  God has told me this.  He will grow up, and when he’s this tall,” she gestured a height with her hands, “he will encounter a darkness.”

It was later explained that Ingrid has the gift of prophesy.  Many times in her past, she had heard the voice of God and spoken what He had told her, only for every single detail to come true.  Many of the women at that very group had been recipients of her prophecies, including RW.  Ingrid described the experience like having a conversation with God in her head.  She could clearly hear His voice.  And even though, it often put her in uncomfortable situations, like that night, she knew she had to speak His words.  They were things meant to bring comfort and clarity to those who needed them.

My wife has been struggling with our baby journey.  Two years ago, I heard the voice of the Holy Spirit clearly tell me that I would be a father.  It wasn’t like I audibly heard Him speak, but it was more like a clear impression of the words formed in my head.  I had no doubt what I’d heard and what it meant.  I knew it was true.  We were watching a movie in our apartment, and I turned to my wife and told her that I was going to be a father.  Ever since then, she has struggled that God didn’t reveal to her that she was supposed to be a mother.  It was only me, and it has been my faith in that encounter that has drug us through so far.

She has had doubts every step of the way, relying on science and statistics to dictate logic to her.  When given a choice, she has always taken the more pessimistic, negative approach to protect her heart against disappointment.  I believe God put a plan into motion for all of those events to line up, so that my wife was at that meeting and received that prophecy.  He wanted her to believe that He wants this, and He has this.  He is in control.  Since she couldn’t believe through my encounter, He gave her one of her own.  She’s still struggling with trying to wrap her head around what happened that night.  She is at a fork in the road.  She has a choice to believe or keep fighting for control.  Either way, God’s plan and promise will be fulfilled.  I just hope she believes it now instead of when it’s all done.  The blessings and rewards will be richer for her.