This testimony of trusting God in a challenging season is sure to inspire your faith in God. Leah and her high-school sweetheart husband Brant live in St. Pete, FL and are expecting their first baby! (She's also a kick-butt real estate agent.) We talk about their story of infertility, how stabilizing it is that God knows everything and cares for us, and how difficult it is to see those we love suffer. Don't miss this one!
This testimony of trusting God in a challenging season is sure to inspire your faith in God. Leah and her high-school sweetheart husband Brant live in St. Pete, FL and are expecting their first baby! (She's also a kick-butt real estate agent.) We talk about their story of infertility, how stabilizing it is that God knows everything and cares for us, and how difficult it is to see those we love suffer. Don't miss this one!
Hey friends, welcome to Real stories of life with God, a podcast with a pretty explanatory title. Because that's what we're here for a conversation with real people about their unique life with God. I'm your host Chelsea Eubank and I'm so glad you're here. Let's jump into today's episode. Thank you for making time to do it. I'm super excited.
Unknown:I'm so sorry. It's live is like constantly trachea hate that excuse. But I mean, I feel like I barely have time to talk to Brant most days. Yeah, my schedule is, is crazy. You know? Like, you're slower few and far between. But, you know, by the time most people get home and cook dinner and put their kids to bed, like when they want to talk to you is at 830 or nine o'clock. Like, they have questions. And so it's really 24/7 Like, I have people. Yes. 7pm. And they don't stop until after 10 o'clock at night. So, but yeah, I mean, for the first like, four years, at least, it was like 15 hour day, like, you know, on on on it. And I'm, you know, now building a team. So they're taking on, you know, some of that bandwidth, going to bed a lot earlier. So I'm realizing, you know, as I'm asleep, I see it the next morning and respond. So most things can wait until the morning. But my personality is if like I'm up and I see it. Most of the time, I will respond. Um,
Chelsea Eubank:well, yeah. Okay, so tell us a little bit about your real estate agent building a team. You and Brandon been married for 37 years in May. And y'all are in Tampa. Yes. So
Unknown:we actually live in St. Petersburg, Florida, but okay, is in the Tampa Bay area.
Chelsea Eubank:Okay, and y'all been in there since since you got married?
Unknown:Yeah, Brant moved in 2014. We literally got engaged on a Sunday. And two days later, Tuesday, he moved to Tampa and started his job. And then I finished up school. And literally, we got married may 25. I graduated college, May 7, got married may 24, went on our honeymoon and then immediately moved here and started my job. The next Monday, it was like, Whoa, like, Oh, my God, all the changes that one time it was very, probably,
Chelsea Eubank:I mean, a move a move would be enough. And marriage would be enough. You know?
Unknown:No, it's all about,
Chelsea Eubank:oh my gosh. Okay. So two of my questions are kind of inspired by Matthew 22. Jesus is asked which commandment in the law was the greatest and he says, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And with all your mind in the second love your neighbor as yourself. So my first question for you is what currently stirs your love for God?
Unknown:Hmm. I mean, so much. I feel like especially recently, I feel like my perspective has changed, you know, a lot on everything. And I just feel like, a lot more thankful. And, you know, going through this, it's like, I don't know how people don't believe that there's a God, you know, when we see like, something so miraculous, happened. So I feel like so much. But even even I don't know how people get through hard times without having faith and without having, you know, that to lean on through the difficult seasons.
Chelsea Eubank:And to give a little perspective, for those that don't know your story at all, y'all have been trying for baby for four, three, they tried for three, or did IVs.
Unknown:Yeah, we were signed up in 2020. To do that. And it we had to cancel it. It's just a, it's a crazy process. Like where you literally have to be physically here, you're going to the doctor every single day for blood work. And it just so happened, I was in a wedding and I was going to miss one day. And you know, I had gone through all of the procedures and the medications and stuff. And then we found out the timeline. And they were like, you can't like I said, I'll take a red eye and they were like, No, I'm sorry, we're gonna have to postpone it. And that was like October 2020. And so it really wasn't going to work out like with the holidays and traveling for Christmas and stuff. And so, you know, we were like, well, I feel like that's God, you know, closing this door. And that was really after exhausting kind of all the other options. We did a total of 15 months of Clomid and letrozole. And then I had two small procedures. So we kind of exhausted all options. And they told us that we really weren't a candidate for IUI because they didn't think it would work. So IVF was kind of the next step. And then again, we couldn't make it work out with timing. So we knew 2021 was going to be we're like let's just go to the holidays. Now we know it was unexplained infertility, so there wasn't like a problem which I'm a problem solver, especially like in my day to day Job Yeah, what I have to do all day long is put out fires and, you know, figure out resolution for issues. And so I kind of like to know what the problem is so that I can fix it. So I think while it was a blessing to know, there's nothing wrong, it was also really terrifying to be like, Okay, well, nothing's wrong, I'm young, I'm healthy. Like, what is like, Why isn't this working like so? You know, again, we so we knew nothing was wrong. So it's like, let's just take a step back, like, you know, it's just maybe it's not God's timing type of thing. We knew we were going to be selling our, our personal home, early 2021, moving into a new home. And so we're like, let's just get settled, ended up those three months, I actually went back on letters all January, February, and March of that year, like, still, you know, just kind of trying on our own with a little bit of help, and it was failed. In the night we moved in to our new home, I actually fell off a ladder, and had a concussion fracture to teeth. Like it was really scary. I'm so lucky that like, it wasn't. It was Yeah, I don't, I don't remember any of it. Like I was knocked unconscious there, like in the mouth bleeds so much. And so there's like a pool of blood on our brand new floor. Thankfully, terrifying. Yeah, so helped us but I mean, that was it was like a pretty, pretty rough month, I had a headache for a couple weeks. And, you know, it was like, looking back on that I was like, Thank God, I wasn't pregnant, you know, when that happened, or that could have ended very badly. So anyways, we just kind of went on with life. And I think not, I hate saying this, because I know there's so many people who would, you know, love the opportunity to, to do IVF. And I just didn't want to do it. Like, I just kept putting it off. And like, it just doesn't feel right. Like, felt so robbed of like, what the process should look like. And I think social media plays a role in where, you know, all you see are the positive, people don't post the negative, they just post you know, they're in cute announcements, and you know, all the things and so, it just, and at least the personal people in my life, my very, very close friends and my very close family members, it all happened like first like very easily. And so I just was like, why, you know, I don't want to have to go through the end, just knowing how busy I am with work. I didn't know what that would look like. And like, just the hormone medication that I was on was so rough. So I was like, Oh my gosh, like this is going to be even 10 times more, and we were starting to feel kind of pressure from other people's opinions of you should just do it, you know, and just again, it just didn't feel it just didn't feel right. But we finally talked about it. And we were like, Okay, we're gonna start in January of 2022. Like we had called the clinic and we're gonna, you know, be moving forward. And yeah, I, I had a positive pregnancy test in October of first one in three years. I mean, it was literally so. So wild. It was crazy. It was I don't know. Like, obviously, it was the Lord. You know, like, it was his perfect timing, because there was nothing that was different really that month and no past three years. You know, I mean, you there's just no rhyme or reason. Within those last three years, like we would have had ovulation day, many, many, many, many, many, many times, like acupuncture. I can't even begin all of the the like herbal teas like I did everything like the waking up at five in the morning taking your temperature every single day ovulation strips like all literally all the things like yeah, we with how it works like it should have happened, like, over the course of three years. I why now, but I remember the night before I found out. I was at the nail salon. And I heard this voice that sounded so familiar. And I was like, How do I know her like, and then I was like, I think she spoke at BSF which is like Bible Study Fellowship I had done a couple years ago here locally. And she gave her testimony about infertility. And I remember sitting on this pew in the church and just like crying and her story really touched me. And so I interrupted her and I'm like, I'm sorry to interrupt you but just have to ask, Did you speak at BSF a couple years ago? And she was like yeah, I still do. And I start crying in the nail salon. And I was like your story really touched me. And you know, we've been going through similar the last, you know, couple of years and she like came over and she prayed with me and like a beautiful conversation and I had not seen her in years. And I remember going home and telling Brian about it. And I was like she's so weird that I saw her. And I was like I'm like how This weird like piece that like, it was gonna it was like, I just feel like it's gonna be okay. Like, I just had to wear it. And at this point I didn't know I was pregnant. So the next morning I found out Yeah, yeah. And I mean, I, I'm so lucky because I grew up with, like the best examples that I could ever have, like, my parents lived that to the fullest. I mean, my dad has had such a significant cancer battle and, you know, gone through the unfathomable, he's literally a walking medical miracle. But he, people ask how he does it and like, it's just he has joy from the Lord and his faith. And that's what keeps him going. And so I mean, I had, I am lucky because I feel like I had not example, you know?
Chelsea Eubank:Yeah, sweet. And on one hand, you never know why we go through the things that we go through. But like your dad went through that circumstance and how it's Mark, do you? You never know how y'all his life story, this story will help Mark someone else.
Unknown:100% Yeah, I've seen, like I had, I saw countless people like even throughout college, like, throughout his whole journey. I know countless people like that his story brought salvation to there truly like, and so I've been able to see God work in his life. And it was hard, like being his daughter, seeing him go through so much pain and suffering. And it's really hard. I mean, it's, I'm not going to sugarcoat it, like, do I get sad every time I go home, I hate seeing him on a feeding tube. I hate that there's at home health care workers that are, but he's here, you know, he's still here with us. And he's, you know, it's just like trying to look at the positives. But human, you're like, selfishly, you don't want to see people that you love suffer. But on the other hand, like I've been able to hear stories of redemption, you know, like, he has impacted other people's lives, for what really matter. And so he always taught me there's not pain without purpose. And you know, I'm a firm believer that too. So when I would pray and stuff, and I'm like, I never felt really strong enough. And my close friends kind of knew, or, like, if I had a one on one conversation with someone, I would mention it, but it's not like I was really broadcasting what we were going through because again, people don't like sharing the hard stuff, right? You want to picture perfect. But I would pray and say like, if and when you bless us, like I will share a story and hopes that it will help someone else. And I was really shocked by how many messages from people that I got some people that I knew some that I didn't just going through similar things or, you know, having recent miscarriages or struggling with infertility or you know, whatever. And it's like, this is so much more common than people talk about, and you feel at least I felt very isolated and alone in the process. But it really is so much more common than people talk about. And, you know, I had a lot of people thank me, you know, for sharing and say that it gave them hope or you know, so yeah, I mean, I hope that any painful experience that someone goes through ultimately, you'll see that there's a purpose in it.
Chelsea Eubank:Yeah, that's good. On the other hand, talking about stirring your love for God, is there anything that currently stifles your love for God? Hmm.
Unknown:I think on the same hand, seeing, seeing people suffer, that you feel are undeserving. Not that anyone's deserving of suffering, but like, especially people who are so strong in their faith, like my mom's best friend. She just lost her husband a couple weeks ago, and several years prior, she lost her daughter, who was one of my best friends. We were the same age. And it was like the Christmas my first married Christmas, we were married like six months. And my friend Kelly was engaged as well. And they were literally driving two separate cars. And she had she was there both on the way back to her parents house from registering for their wedding. And she was hit by an 18 Wheeler. And she didn't make it. She passed away a couple of days after Christmas. And it was horrible, horrible. You know, it's just like, I remember, I mean, it's still just like, gives me chill bumps to think about, you know, and how hard that wasn't her family. And now, you know, six years later, her father Mr. Craig, who was so like impact. I know, he had a huge impact on my life. They you know, lead youth group and the quiz rally and we're still involved in church and they homeschool their kids and you know, just this amazing family like they just showed crazy strength when that happened with Kelly. I mean, it's just crazy and it was like he went into the hospital with COVID and you know, it was kind of touching go for about six weeks and I was just so like, I would text them all every day asking for updates and you know, just like bored like they did this family cannot go through more like I prayed every single day and he he recently passed away and it was just Like, you ask why, you know, it's just, I think that's, that's a struggle you ultimately know God has a plan, but you're like, but why why why was that? Like, why couldn't you have healed him? And that was the, you know, that was the end of the story. So I think the same thing that like, makes me love God, you know, is similar like, on the flip side, you question too, it's like, yes, you're so thankful that you have him as a rock through those hard times. And you wouldn't survive those hard times without him. But then you question why? And I think it makes, I don't know, I feel like I handle things a little bit better. Like when I'm personally going through something. Then when I see other people go through something like, I think it is so much worse. I'm a very empathetic person is, and I take on other people's problems. And so I don't know if that makes sense. Oh, yeah,
Chelsea Eubank:I can relate to that. Entirely. Yeah.
Unknown:So I think that's been a struggle recently of just seeing, you know, other people who you love so much, who are walking, you know, in the faith, see horrible things, you know, happened to them. So that's been really hard.
Chelsea Eubank:The older I get, the more I'm able to just be honest with God and be like, this is confusing, or I don't like this. You know, like, normally I would like shy away from that and be like, I have to have flowery pleasant feelings towards you. That's what bathe means. No, like, No, I don't think I don't think it is, you know, he can hit her
Unknown:nose. He already? Yeah.
Chelsea Eubank:It opens me up a lot to be changed by him and to be touched by him if I'm willing to admit.
Unknown:Yeah, I really
Chelsea Eubank:wrong. In a way. Yes. Yes.
Unknown:Yes. I get it all out there. Yeah. And he's not afraid, you know, to him and question or when we're angry, or, you know, like I said, he already knows it. Know, for sure. Woof.
Chelsea Eubank:Fill in the blank, the truth that God is blank means a lot to you. Because, like,
Unknown:the truth that God is all knowing, means a lot to me, because I am not. And I always think about Jeremiah 2911. Like, he knows the plans he has for us, you know, and it makes me it makes me very emotional. Because, um, you know, he, like, I just never pictured, like, how beautiful like my life would be, you know? Yeah, just with ever, even even with the hard stuff. It's just like, I could have never imagined that, like, this is what God had planned for me. You know? I just always assumed, you know, we would live in Georgia. And you know, that's just all I had ever known and praying together since we were teenagers. And I remember being so terrified and so scared when he was like, I got a job offer in Tampa, like, what do you think I should do? And I knew it was what he had always wanted to do. He wanted to do orthopedic sales, like since high school, and it was like, gosh, this is what you've always wanted. Like, I think you should take it and I'll follow you. And I remember being so scared, and I cried so hard. My senior year of college, I threw up, I will never forget it in our, in our house with my roommates. I'm just not happy about it, and then moving here and being so miserable the first couple months, and it was so hard. And again, not really like I never knew what I wanted to do. I just kind of majored in public relations, because I knew I needed to get a degree. I never pictured having a career. And it's like now to be in St. Pete, like in a city that we love so much. And it's so vibrant and thriving, and like such a beautiful place to raise a family, it's such a fun place for friends to come visit, having the opportunity to build a home that we love, you know, before even turning 30 that we can grow into and having a job that, you know, is so fulfilling. And I get to meet so many different people across so many walks of life and have built beautiful relationships from and, you know, be in the top 1% of 9000 agents, like I could have never, ever ever dreamed of that. And no, it wasn't handed to me. And it didn't come without hard work. But like, it's crazy to think that like God knew he knew that and even like in this whole, like infertility not being pregnant, like had we gotten pregnant three years ago when we first started trying like, our life would look totally different. You know, and not not necessarily in a bad way but it's so much better now where we're set up. We're in such a better position to have this blessing. You know, it's like three years ago, I was still trying to fit I was still on my own and how to hire an assistant yet and you know, I've been able to build build Build and get the right people on my team in place. And, you know, I switched companies to a new company that a brokerage that has more support, literally the month after I moved from Keller Williams to Compass, I moved in September, I got pregnant in October like, crazy. You know, it's just I think, I think that's the the answer to my question is like, it comforts me knowing that God is all knowing, because I don't know. And again, he he has plans for me to prosper, and not to harm, you know, and it's just like holding on. Even in the midst of it, you feel like it's so it's doing you so much harm. But like, when you're in it, you can't see the big picture, right? It was like even five and a half years ago when I was in this 600 square foot apartment with a two hour commute to work. And I cried every single day and hated my job prayed for five o'clock every single day. I had no idea that a beautiful career that I would love so much was just around the corner.
Chelsea Eubank:Right? Yeah. Do you think there's something in there also about you know, that that phrase in the Bible about like, not borrowing trouble from tomorrow? Even there's something about like, Okay, God, I'm going to cling to what I know about you. And I'm going to look at today, because if I try to look at everything in the future, it feels very overwhelming. Yeah. And I don't know. And it feels more negatively uncertain than it does hopeful and dreaming, you know. But maybe there's something in there about, like being faithful to what's in front of me today. And then taking the steps, you know, like, it's like, because even though, like you just said it was so beautiful, like what you just said about? Even if we gotten pregnant three years ago, it would have been great, but it would have been totally different. And you felt a lot of feelings about that. A lot of discouragement, a lot of sadness, a lot of disappointment, probably. But you also just kept saying, Okay, well, I'm going to keep putting my energy in, and I'm going to trust him. But I'm going to keep giving my energy to what is in front of me my job for the purpose of eventually what he might do. You know, it wasn't like you just stopped caring about everything else. Does that make sense? Oh, yeah. No, like you're doing it, you're doing your part, and we trust that he's gonna do his part.
Unknown:I think that's the only thing that really that kept me going was just staying busy and you know, keeping your mind off of things. But I think to play on, like focusing what's in front of you one thing that my dad always says to me, which is so powerful, and he always says, worrying about tomorrow doesn't take away tomorrow's problems. It takes away today's joy. Which is so good. So good. Yeah. Because I'm a worrier. I am, I am a worrier. I am anxious, I worry about everything. And so it's hard for me like there can be 99 things going, right. And I'm going to focus on the one thing that's going wrong and worry about it. And it's so ridiculous. It's I have to really, really be intentional about shifting my mindset. But, you know, he said that to me so many times over the years that I have to bring myself in, bring myself back to that, like, you are not solving anything. You're not taking away tomorrow's problems. You're taking away the joy of today. Don't let yourself do that.
Chelsea Eubank:Oh, it's good. So true. And because like future is God's territory, you know, like, I can't like you said, he's all knowing and he knows and I don't know. And so I cannot live there. He does, but I can't. Yeah, it's good. My last question is, what is something you're looking forward to?
Unknown:Um, I feel like I'm looking forward to being mom. Yeah. Yeah, I just, it's, you know, when you wait so long for something, it's just, I'm looking forward to that.
Chelsea Eubank:Yeah. And y'all are y'all are gonna be such awesome parents.
Unknown:It will be a humbling season for sure. When I'm so used to being like, work, work, work. 24/7. And that is not going to fly. Like I know, come July. And so yeah, I think just, you know, trying to figure out the balance of having a career and being a present mom, and all of those things are something I'm going to be taking day by day and learning. But
Chelsea Eubank:listening friends, it means a lot that you added us to your day today. Thank you so much. Wherever you find yourself on your journey with Jesus. I hope you finished this episode with your faith cheered refreshed or strengthened. Until next time