As I observed this vacant scene on the shores of Lake Erie, I marveled at the wonder of God’s creation and how, every year, He allows nearly every sign of life to be obscured by ice, freezing temperatures and snow.
When we first started trying for a baby two and a half years ago, the early months held tendrils of hope. My mind swam with thoughts of our future family, not thinking for a moment of the difficulty we might face along the way.
It was 6AM, and my eyes were heavy as I tried to make sense of the Scripture passage laid out in front of me.
Infertility is a physical problem, but it has ramifications that go far beyond the physical. God gave us not just a body, but a mind, heart, and soul (Matthew 22:37).
We are a foster-to-adopt home. Even though it took us nearly 9 years to get here, we believe this was what God wanted all along. He knew we had to go through all the tests and heartbreak to allow us to see His plan.
Two years after adopting our first son, we were ready to begin the adoption process again. Once more, God showed how much he loves us.
The tagline of the book Still Waiting by Ann Swindell caught my attention as soon as I saw it. “Hope for when God doesn’t give you want you want” felt like just the perspective I needed in my long wait to have babies.
For most of my life, Mother’s Day was the special day we finally stopped to celebrate the person who brought us into this world. A mothers’ countless sacrifices deserve an ocean of gratitude and way more days of love and thanks than just one. It was a day for flowers and brunch. A day for making your best homemade creation, because what would mom possibly love more than something made by the hands of her child? It was a joyful day.
Until it wasn’t.
To our church families: You might not realize that Mother's Day Sunday is the hardest church service for us to attend. We love moms and want to honor them. But the very nature of the holiday reminds us of what we don't have. And sitting through a service that elevates motherhood to the neglect of those who aren't mothers is hard to bear.
We want to share some suggestions for how you can BOTH honor moms AND show love to those who are hurting…
At the intersection of belief and experience, will you trust God’s goodness, or rely on the certainty of your pain?
