I am occasionally disheartened by an assumption people seem to make about me that I have no awareness of or care for the matter of infertility and other procreative crosses. I am very, very aware, and I very, very care. :( I pray always for the many couples I know (some quite well and some hardly at all) who have not been blessed as I have, for all the Hannahs and Rachels whose tears are contagious to me. Ever noticed how the Bible talks a lot more about women without kids than the other kind?
So I commend to you He Remembers the Barren. I have not yet had the privilege of reading Katie Schuermann's book of the same name, which is scheduled to come out in July, but two ladies of fine judgment who previewed it have recommended it to me strongly.
One frustration I have is that none of my favorite prayer books have a petition on behalf of the barren to guide my intercession for them. What I usually pray for them is that God's will for marriage would be fulfilled in them. I don't always know the details of their situations; whether their cases have been declared inexplicable or impossible. I don't know if a baby is God's will for J and C or B and R or any of the others, but I know it is God's will for marriage. So that is what I pray. I hope that's OK.
5 comments:
But you do pray for us each time you recite the Lords Prayer, review your catechism. The Third petition that God keeps us steadfast in the faith; The fourth petition that God provides for the childless the means to support the body (especially in old age); the seventh petition, that God would deliver us from all manner of evil, for body and for soul. And also the teaching on widows applies to the barren, that they trust in God and continue in prayer.
The Lord be with you!
CO, very true.
This is so hard for me! I remember a family at our church who had a baby born VERY early. We were close to them and spent a lot of time during those months in the ICU and throughout his first year talking through things. About a year later someone we knew went through a similar thing. I remember the father in the second family expressing frustration about people making a certain type of comment to them (in the hopes of being supportive). He was almost angry as he spoke of how much it bothered them. The thing is, what bothered family #2 was actually uplifting to family #1.
Knowing this makes me so skittish sometimes when I have friends dealing with miscarriage and/or infertility. What one person finds comforting, another person in a seemingly very similar situation finds offensive. Doing a lot of listening and praying for them is a place for me to start, I guess.
Thanks for the heads up. I will have to check out those books!
LLM, I know what you mean, and it's not just topic either. There are no "magic right words" for any bad situation. :(
Thank you Rebekah. I have given this link to a friend who has struggled with infertility ever since she got married nine or so years ago. I think she will be comforted and encouraged by these women.
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