I often wonder what our interaction would look like if I could sit with Sarah and Abraham (recorded in Genesis) over a cup of coffee, asking them for insight based on their experience with infertility. They would certainly understand the fear, weight, anxiety, and isolation that bears down on modern-day couples. Though Abraham and Sarah are both recognized for their great faith in Scripture, their sin, failures, and shortcomings are also recorded for our growth. I imagine these would be their words of guidance and warning: “Don’t be Motivated by Fear and Impatience” In Old Testament times, if a wife couldn’t bear a child, social custom and ancient legal systems encouraged wives to give … [Read more...]
How to Pray for Your Doctor Through Infertility
I sat with my friend in a quaint coffee shop watching the tears stream down her face. Yet, she wasn't crying about anything she was going through -- she was lamenting for me. I was updating her on a recent encounter with my [former] doctor, where I had been disrespected, humiliated, and disregarded. She had plenty of unsavory words for my doctor as I shared my story. The first thing she asked was, "What did you say to him?" I responded, "I didn't say anything, really. I left the office and prayed for him in my car." Her eyes were as wide as the coffee mugs we were drinking out of. "You prayed for him?! That would have been my last response!" On that day in my doctor's office, … [Read more...]
September is PCOS Awareness Month: What You Need to Know
September is PCOS Awareness Month, and I'm encouraged by the increase in information and awareness being shared about this disorder. Whether you have PCOS, or whether you are a loved one supporting a woman with PCOS, thank you for taking the time to educate yourself today. I was diagnosed with PCOS on a snowy March day in 2013. And in those four and a half years, I've found myself under the covers in tears, curled up in physical, mental, and spiritual torment. I've been poked and prodded more times by doctors in these few years than most women will in an entire lifetime. I've listened to ignorant comments and accepted meaningless advice. I've felt the eyes of judgement. I've wanted to … [Read more...]
My Review of “Hope When It Hurts” (+ Giveaway!)
"Hurt is real. But so is hope." It's rare -- a book about Christian suffering that isn't filled with fluffy, canned, half-truth Christian jargon. But I found one: Hope When It Hurts by Kristen Wetherell and Sarah Walton. Hope When It Hurts is a book drenched in gospel-rich, Christ-exalting, biblically sound meditations. Sarah and Kristen warmly invite women to see how God is caring for them, growing them, and using them in seasons of suffering. They do not shy away about the hurt we experience in our earthly lives; however, this is not a book of complaining, commiserating, and self-focus. These women continually point us back to the only true source of hope: Jesus. Sarah and Kristen … [Read more...]