"These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts, no one can open. I KNOW YOUR DEEDS. SEE, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Revelation 3:7, 8, & 13
Throughout my life, the Lord has graciously spoken to me with specific details of doors He has opened for me to walk through and then in His time, he specifically closed them. He has shown me so clearly that I HAVE LITTLE STRENGTH! Hence the title of my book, "More Than "I" Can Handle!" (soon to be released in His time, when He opens that door!
Here is one of the things He reminded me of!
Twenty two years ago, I had just given birth to my Jonathan (BJ). I was praying about how to breastfeed him with modesty while maintaining my very busy life. I was taking Melissa, 7 yrs old, to school events, ballet class, and just living a very busy life all the time. I did not want to supplement with formula and a bottle when I was out in public. I am a champion advocate of 100 % breastfeeding which was not encouraged in that day. It never made sense to me that God created women with the ability to feed their babies the perfect and most nutritional milk, but the culture declared that the better choice was an imitation man made substitute. Formula companies even claim it is not as good, or equal to the nutritional values of breast milk, yet the majority of women choose not to breastfeed. Go figure?? It just makes sense that since God created everything He is the expert and we should do everything the way he designed it to be! As was common practice for the those who did breastfeed, I was not comfortable going into unsanitary bathrooms, or having to excuse myself from everything to hide somewhere to feed my baby.
When my BJ was just a few months old, the Lord gave me a very detailed dream with specific dimensions to make the "Can't -a - Peek tm Nursing Canopy" to breastfeed in public with privacy. I immediately got up and wrote it all down on the pad beside my bed. The next day, I went to the store, bought the supplies and made three of them right away! He then gave me the name of a woman at my church of 600 plus people,"Allison Peirson", and told me she would help me mass produce them. I found Allison Pierson that Sunday, who I didn't even know and had never spoken to before. I introduced myself to her saying, "The Lord told me to talk to you about helping me with something He told me to make." When I pulled out my sample nursing canopy, the drawing and described it to her she looked at me with curiosity and said, "Wow, this looks interesting. Did you know I have a degree in fashion design?" I was shocked and almost fell over because I had no idea! We had never spoken before and honestly didn't know a thing about each other. She too just had a baby boy Sean, and was breastfeeding, so I gave her one of the nursing covers I had made to sample. After using it a few days, she called me with great excitement telling me how blessed she was and what a positive impact it had on her nursing experience. She was my first satisfied customer and was absolutely sold on the idea! As the Lord would have it, and the way He commonly works, her husband has a Masters Degree in Marketing and was also on board with helping us start our own manufacturing company for the purpose of blessing and promoting women to breast feed their babies! Within a few weeks, "Baby Essentials was birthed and I filed for a patent that was approved. For twelve years, we became the best of friends while making and distributing thousands of "Can't-a- Peek tm Nursing Canopies" via the "One Step Ahead Catalog" and 100's of retail outlets in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Europe. While Jerry and I were eating lunch at Denny's one afternoon, he came up with the product name because "you can't a peek while the baby eats! My partner was in charge of the manufacturing and I was in charge of business and sales. Even my parents, brother and sister-in-law, and Melissa helped us package them on our dining room table. It was really a family business and we loved it. The Lord clearly opened the door to this season in my life. When President Clinton shut down the manufacturing industry in the USA, it was evident that in order to stay in business, we had to move our manufacturing to China, or Mexico to remain competitive. It was then we felt the Lord telling us it was time to shut the door!
In spite closing down almost twelve years ago, I am absolutely in awe that I continue to SEE women using my nursing cover still today! My patent expired as is the law after sixteen years, but they are still being manufactured today by another company who has copied it. I have been so blessed to see them being used throughout my travels in recent years and days. I have seen women using it on the plane, at conferences, in churches, at Disney World, in restaurants, etc. I was shocked to hear this week that Ellie's new beau, Jonathan's sisters have both recently used it as well.What a joy to know it is a blessing to so many new mom's for so many years.
I share this testimony only to boast in the Lord and His goodness of how He opens and shuts the doors of opportunity to fulfill His purpose in our lives! When He gives us an assignment, or calling, we must listen, obey and trust Him as we walk through each journey because we never know when he is going to shut that door. We often think if a door closes in our lives that it is a failure, or we did something wrong. But, as I study the scriptures and live my life, I have realized that like the change of seasons in a year, so does He takes us through different seasons in our lives. We are to be about His business in all seasons of our lives seeking to bring glory and honor to Him!
When I think back over my life I can SEE how He clearly used this experience to prepare me for the upcoming assignments that only He could have orchestrated. Some of the new doors He opened include homeschooling, adoption, parenting eight children, being a grand mother, Kolfe Mama Ministry, our journey to Solomon, and now author and public speaker. The older I get the more I realize life keeps getting more exciting.
So may I encourage you to have an ear to listen to His call, and a heart to obey and trust Him to walk through the doors He has opened for you while you still have the chance. Do not be afraid, be strong, courageous and faithful, even unto death.
"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8
Patent US5652958 - Nursing canopy for use by a nursing mother ...
www.google.com/patents/US5652958Share
Go to Google Patents Home ... for use by a nursing mother. Eileen F. Farrell-To See My Nursing Canopy
2 comments:
I see women using them all the time while nursing their babies!!! I always think of you. I just pulled out a few I had ion the closet, one was still in the box!!! We are getting ready for Ally's baby, due in 7 weeks. She will be using them! I'm so excited! Thank you!
I meant to ask you about this when talked the other day! :)
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