A Brave Yes: Answering the Call to Live an Adventurous Life with Jesus

By Monica Switzer

Did you know that there is a divine call on your life? Have you ever considered that you may have been placed on this earth for this very moment in history? In A Brave Yes, Monica recounts her inspiring story of what took place when her family decided to give God their brave yes, no matter what he asked of them. With encouragement and practical wisdom on how to step into your own destiny, you cannot walk away from this book unchanged. You just might be motivated to take a radical leap of faith and say a brave yes!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Word Alive Press
• Release date: Apr 22, 2019
• ISBN: 9781486617968

Book preview

As I read through this book I was reminded that there is one gift that God has given us that he no longer has but desperately wants. He will never take it back, and Satan can’t steal it away: it is the gift of choice. You see, where there is real love, there has to be real choice; and as Monica shows us, choice is a very powerful thing. As she transparently gives you a window into the journey that she, Andrew, and their children have gone on, you will find yourself vicariously stepping out in faith over and over again. You will be inspired to give a brave yes to the dreams and desires Jesus is placing in your heart that you have been afraid to let surface. So as you read, allow yourself to dream with God. The results will touch eternity!

Pastor Rob Reimer

Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Director of the Master’s Commission

Regina Apostolic Church

A Brave Yes

Copyright © 2019 by Monica Switzer

All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com. • 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, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

EPUB Version

ISBN: 978-1-4866-1796-8

Word Alive Press

119 De Baets Street Winnipeg, MB R2J 3R9

www.wordalivepress.ca

Cataloguing in Publication information can be obtained from Library and Archives Canada.

For Andrew, who continues to make saying yes to God

our family’s greatest priority.

And for my sister Nicole, who prayed this book into existence.

Contents

A Note from the Author

Chapter One: Keep Your Eyes Open

Chapter Two: Pregnany Again

Chapter Three: If You Say Yes to This, You’re Saying No to Something Else

Chapter Four: The Prophetic Conference

Chapter Five: A Woman Named Tabitha

Chapter Six: The Bigger and Even Bigger Idea

Chapter Seven: Birthing Tabitha’s Closet

Chapter Eight: The Fall of Finishing

Chapter Nine: Shifting Gears

Chapter Ten: God Wants Your Brave Yes

About the Author

A Note from the Author

It’s an interesting thing, writing a book about a period of time in your life and all that you learned and then moving on before anyone has actually read it.

After writing A Brave Yes, I went through one of the most devastating experiences I’ve ever had. We were in the process of adopting a baby girl, but after we had her for thirty hours immediately after her birth, the adoption fell through. It’s a story for another book.

This situation rocked my personal world. It was a deep and horrible pain, and I felt it was a direct result of me giving God my brave yes. I decided that I would not publish this book and that I would tuck it away as another brave yes gone wrong.

One morning weeks later, I pulled out this manuscript. As I read, I wept. God was healing my broken heart as I reread what I had learned in a previous season of brave obedience. After reading my book I had the courage to give God my yes, to trust him again.

I don’t know what you are walking through, but I know that the pain we face is real. My prayer for you is that as you read these pages you will be reminded to the depths of your heart that God is using every piece of your life for your good and his glory—your every yes, every heartache, every broken dream, and each hope fulfilled. He’s weaving something beautiful. You can trust him.

With humble gratitude,

Monica

CHAPTER ONE

Keep Your Eyes Open

I remember May 19, 2011, so well. It was one of the very first hot spring days of the year. All the mama ducks were having their babies, and new life seemed to be springing up everywhere.

My own new life would be coming soon. Our first baby was due on May 23, and I had entered into the waiting game. While this day was beautiful, I was hot, uncomfortable, and lonely.

That morning I couldn’t get my big belly out of bed, so I told Andrew that I would bring him lunch later (he could have made his own, but cooking seemed to be my only contribution to our lives at this time). I spent the morning slowly getting ready and then drove to see my husband at work. He was a carpenter, and they were busy finishing a basement before he would take a week off for our baby’s arrival.

I pulled up to the job site, and everyone quickly stopped for their break. Andrew asked if I wanted to come out and sit with them. I didn’t, as I felt very uncomfortable and wanted just to sit with him. We ate lunch in the car, and he asked me how I was doing.

I didn’t know how to respond without sounding like a broken record of complaint. I had been off work for six months with debilitating back and pelvis pain and morning sickness that lasted all day. I had now made it to thirty-nine weeks and four days of what felt like the loneliest, more unproductive season of my life. I was anything but okay.

I’m okay. Just ready to get this baby out. I laughed.

He could tell I was too tired to talk, so he filled me in on the ICF basement they were pouring and how much more energy-efficient this model of foundations was. He was so passionate about his work.

Andrew finished up his food and kissed me goodbye. See you later, babe. Take it easy, okay?

I drove to Wal-Mart and loaded up on some last minute groceries in case the baby came soon. I had a few meals in the freezer, but not enough to get me through a season that had so many unknowns. I put frozen pizzas, taquitos, and bagged salads in my cart as I slowly waddled around the store.

Standing in front of the tea and coffee display, I suddenly felt weird. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I had to go home right then.

I quickly paid for my groceries and started driving home.

Waves of pain started to come and go, like a cramp getting stronger and more intense. We had learned in prenatal class that labour pain would start mildly, but this felt instantly extreme. I started to panic. If this was only the beginning, what would the end feel like?

We lived close to Regina General Hospital. Our street was always full of cars belonging to staff, who would park and walk to work to avoid the two-hour parking limit. This day our street was more full than usual. I circled the block, begging God to open up a parking spot for me. By this point tears were streaming down my face as I was sure this must be the beginning of labour.

Finally a spot came open, and I tried to parallel park through my foggy eyes and contractions. I clipped the car behind me. My heart raced even more, and I prayed there was no damage.

I didn’t see any damage, and I was desperate to get inside. Somehow I mustered the strength to walk around the corner with my groceries and into the house.

After our birth classes, I thought I was prepared for pain. I remembered our teacher, a fiery grey-haired nurse named Sally, telling us to rest during the first phase of labour because we would need to be upright, active, and mobile during the following stages.

How could I rest through this pain? And, dear Lord, how could this only be the first stage of labour?

Contractions had definitely started, so I called Andrew and asked him to come home. It was early enough that I probably didn’t need him, but I was scared and did not want to be alone.

I lay down on the bed while I waited for him to come home. It felt like hours until he finally walked through the door.

Any emotion I had been holding back came rushing out, and I cried in his arms. How was I going to do this?

Andrew’s presence did give me some courage, and after I had a rest we took a walk up and down our block to see if labour would pick up enough that we could go to the hospital. The sun beat down on my already overheated body, and I decided I couldn’t be pregnant in the hot sun any longer, so I would be brave and get it over with (as if I had any other choice!).

Four hours later, the contractions seemed close enough together for us to go to the hospital. They were so intense, I was sure I would be having the baby soon.

My confidence in our baby coming soon was shattered when the nurse told me I was only two centimetres dilated. They wouldn’t even be able to admit us yet. Evening was coming, and I was already tired. The sweet nurse encouraged us to go for a walk around the hospital to see if anything picked up.

We walked at turtle speed around the hospital grounds until the pain became even more unbearable. Then we headed back to labour and delivery. Surely by now I would be far enough dilated to be admitted!

I was, but just barely. Student doctors were working that night, and every single one had to check my cervix each and every hour. It was excruciating, and I wish I had the courage to say no. Since this was my first time in labour, I was unprepared to say no to any medical staff. I don’t like confrontation at the best of times, let alone with the people I’m trusting to help me through the scariest situation of my life.

Just before we were moved into a delivery room, the resident doctor on call for that night arrived. She was a good friend of ours. When she had started her practicum God told her that she would deliver our baby, and this was her very last shift in the labour and delivery ward. The timing was supernatural, and I felt added peace that the Lord was with us.

I had studied all of the pros and cons to having an epidural and decided that since my mom had four babies naturally, I could too. But by the time we were settled into a birthing room, I decided I couldn’t go through with our plan of a pain-medication-free birth.

My emotions were everywhere. I’m so sorry. I just can’t do it, I gasped between contractions.

Andrew assured me that this had been my dream only and he just wanted me to be okay, whatever that meant.

I swallowed my pride and asked for an epidural. Then I felt relieved that some rest might come soon. I waited in a hot bath for them to bring it.

Our nurse returned with some unexpected news.

Monica, I’m sorry. Because of your blood condition, an epidural can only be administered with a hematologist in the building, and there isn’t one tonight. There is one other option, but it would mean that your baby has to go to NICU for monitoring immediately after being born, for four hours, at least.

I had forgotten that my blood condition could affect childbirth. I have a very mild genetic condition that is common in people of Mediterranean descent, called Von Willebrand Disease. Although it had never affected my health in any way, it increases my risk of hemorrhaging. My heart sank. During