The Long Way Round

It’s been about a year since I shared with the world about our fertility struggles. It was one of the scariest and most vulnerable things I’ve ever had to share and at the time I wasn’t even sure if it was a wise decision; but I felt a little holy nudge and so I obeyed. Since then, the outpouring of love, support and PRAYER has blessed us beyond belief. Friends have courageously shared their own fertility struggles with me, allowing me to pray for them and believe with them. There is a time to keep things to yourselves, but sometimes there is a huge blessing in letting those around you help you carry your burden.

So I guess this is just a bit of an update of sorts as well as hopefully some encouragement for others of you who are in the waiting game, believing for something with no clear end in site. Can I tell you how this is all going to end? With God being FAITHFUL.

In the past year we’ve rediscovered what true community looks like and it is beautiful. Friends truly being family — praying, believing, and fasting with us and for us, celebrating the good and mourning the bad, being a source of joy and fun, helping each other when we need it and just truly showing LOVE. And it’s changed us. It’s contagious. We want to be the blessing that our community has been to us.

Unless this month turns out otherwise (and we’re believing it will), we are still in the baby waiting game. We haven’t changed much in our lives other than taking a natural approach to fertility — things like diet and herbs. We don’t feel called to try any mainstream fertility methods like IUIs or IVF at this point. We are still FULLY believing that God has a baby for us and so we wait. And believe. And hope. And pray pray pray. It’s not always pretty or easy. Some months it just plain sucks (hello running out of church in tears on mother’s day!) but we keep pressing on and pressing in and believing that “God is able…the do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine (Eph 3:20).”

(photo from Waiting For Baby Bird)

I know that some of you out there can relate. Maybe you’re also waiting for a baby after years of infertility. You’ve been poked and prodded, analyzed and labeled “unexplained.” You’ve changed your diet, your water filters, your exercise routine, your vitamins, your stress levels all the try to prod your body to just do what it’s supposed to you. Meanwhile, you’ve watched friend after friend after friend “accidentally” fall pregnant TWICE and deliver healthy babies while you’re still waiting for that first time.

Or maybe it’s not a baby you’re waiting for or praying for but something else. A husband. A job. A broken relationship. A new direction in life. Do you ever feel like those around you are getting quick miracles while you’re on the long way round? I certainly do. It can be easy to look around and compare, but I believe that God truly has something special for those of us who are getting our miracles on the long way round (and believe me when I say that over 3 years feels like the looooong way round!). He hasn’t overlooked us, instead He is using us for His glory to be displayed. When I think of it that way, it’s more of a blessed responsibility than a burden, right?

So before I go, I want to share with you this AMAZING SERMON by Charlotte Gambill. My sweet friend Caroline from In Due Time sent this link to me last week and I pretty much wept as I listened to it. In fact, I loved it so much that I listened to it again a few days later. Charlotte takes a look at two stories in the Bible — one where someone gets an instant miracle and another where they have to go the long way round — and brings them into beautiful perspective. She also talks about her own struggle with infertility. There is beauty in the wait, sweet friends. Pretty please, find time to listen to this encouraging message this week.

WATCH THIS MESSAGE HERE!

For those of you who are still in the wait, be encouraged! This year I’ve seen one friend get pregnant after being told that her husband has NO sperm and two other friends fall pregnant and carry healthy babies after multiple miscarriages. God is willing and able! And as always, if you want prayer, please let me know and I’ll pray for you.

xoxo

Some fun links you might enjoy from my favorite mommas-to-be bloggers:
* 5 THINGS YOU WISH YOU COULD TELL YOUR FERTILE FRIENDS (what I wish my friends would read)
* BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE (for hope)
* YOU MIGHT BE AN INFERTILE IF… (for laughs)