It’s been quite a while since I’ve written any reflective posts. But I’ve been thinking lately about God’s perfect timing. I’ve talked about it in the past. And I was reminded of it again lately. Oddly enough it relates to food 🙂

Last winter we tried raw milk for the first time. It was at a farm close to home. And it was only for the winter…a perfect way to try it and see if we liked it. And perfect timing…it coincided with my 2nd trimester of pregnancy almost down to the day. The trimester when dairy is such a critical nutrient as the baby’s muscles are forming. I was able to drink tons of nourishing raw milk every day during my  second trimester. It was wonderful. Then our winter share ended. And I stopped drinking much milk since we didn’t have raw milk anymore. Then I started doing GAPS. And after Abram was born I went totally dairy free. It really seemed to help with his reflux and my gut. Although I still would have liked to give Rebecca raw milk it wasn’t critical for me anymore. I’ve mentioned a few times now that we just started a new cow share. It is so wonderful to have healthy raw milk again. Although this option was available to us for the past year we didn’t take advantage of it. We debated. It seemed like a bit of a drive. We were kind of waiting to see if we’d get a winter share again from the farm we got it last year. We were on the waiting list there and wondered if there would be any openings (no luck). So we just waited and went without raw milk for a while. Then in August we took a tour of Grassfields Farm. We got our beef and our pork there this year. And they are such nice people. We love their cheese and chicken as well. I mentioned on facebook that we had visited. And wouldn’t you know it, one of the moms from my MOPS table was thinking about getting a cow share there. And wanted to know if we were going to do the same and wanted to share the drive/pick up. We had always said we’d be more open to going there if we could share the work. And God just set it all up for us…right at the perfect time. It just so happens that as we were considering it and talking with the other mom I decided to start adding dairy back into my diet. I think it will now benefit both Abram and me. But I didn’t want to add dairy unless it was raw. So we talked about it and prayed about it. And tried the milk. And decided to go for it! In the few weeks before we got our milk I was able to introduce ghee and butter. Then just when I was ready to move to the next step was our first week of raw milk…and I could make raw sour cream to add in. Perfect. It also happens to be a great time for Rebecca to get back on raw milk. Just in the last couple weeks she is making such progress on her eating and her tastes changing. And I feel like giving her raw milk is one of the final steps we need to take for her. Also, Abram will be 6 months old next week. So he’ll be starting solids very soon. And if he is going to have any dairy I want it to be raw. Again, God worked everything out in his perfect time, in the perfect season. My healing from GAPS seems to be hitting a rough patch at the moment. The last few weeks have been up and down. I think adding cultured raw dairy is the boost I need to keep things going and continue healing. And get the nutrients I need. And maybe gain a few pounds back? 😛

God doesn’t only have perfect timing. He has perfect placement. As I mentioned I am now sharing the milk pick up with a mom from my MOPS table. She also happens to have a daughter in Rebecca’s Kindermusik class and lives close by. When MOPS started this year I was a little nervous about who would be at my table. I really enjoyed getting to know the women at my table last year. So I wasn’t sure how it would go, if I would connect with anyone, etc. Then I met Stephanie (the one we’re getting milk with). And then I found out that another mom at my table is into natural living. She already has a cow share at Grassfields, eats real food, actually knows what GAPS is, eats grain free at times, reads the blogs I read, etc. So yesterday I had the pleasure of talking to her and getting to know her a little more. Sometimes I feel like the only person around me that eats the way I do, etc. And then to end up at a MOPS table with not one but two women that share the same views I do?? That’s just crazy. And amazing. And to top it off our tables are arranged by where we live…which means that these women live very close to me. I am very excited to get to know these women better.

There are days when I feel like I’m making such good progress, feeling good, on the right track, etc. And there are days where I wonder if I’m doing anything right and maybe I’m just crazy for trying to heal my body with GAPS (like during the last few really rough days I’ve had). Then God shows me that He is in control. He is leading me down this path. He has plans to prosper me, not to harm me. He knows what I need and when I need it. We go through all different seasons in our lives. And this just happens to be the season I’m in right now. When I look at the big picture I see how far I’ve come from a few years ago. And each step along the way has been in God’s perfect time. So I will be patient and see where he wants me to go next. I am excited to be making a step in the right direction for the health of our whole family. And I am excited to have the opportunity to develop new friendships and get the support I need from other women.

God is perfect. And his plans are perfect. I will trust in that and hold on to that hope daily, through the good days and the bad days. God is using me for his good and perfect plan. And for that I am thankful.