The Hurt and the Healer

One thing I have appreciated about this crazy journey is the deep and meaningful connections I have made with several different women. In the beginning, I had a couple women who were my go-to during my own struggles. They too had faced their own fertility struggles. I was comforted to know that I could go to them to relate to someone, to ask advice, to hear what paths they took, for anything I have needed.

In the past several months, my own mindset has begun to shift and I feel like I have become more healthy mentally. In this shift, I feel very thankful that I am now able to reach out to other women going through their own fertility struggles. Over the past month or so, I have made a very strong connection to one woman who has been on her own long, challenging road. Just a few weeks apart, we both went in, in hopes that our pain would soon end and we would be sharing the good news of pregnancy together.

Since then, we have shared in our joy together, knowing that we are both expecting! It has been nice having someone to share with and connect to. Today, as I was sitting on my couch, I received a text from her asking me to pray for them and that they were rushing to the doctor's office, as she was facing some complications.

It's amazing how quickly infertility can connect you to someone who a month a go, I barely knew. I found myself pouring my heart out to God this afternoon. I found myself aching in pain for her and her husband, knowing the fear and uncertainty they were feeling as they awaited this doctor appointment. As I was praying, I also began to read. Here was one of the passages I came across today:

Ephesians 6:10, 16, 18 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power...In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one...And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

After praying for several hours, I received another update that things were looking pretty serious and they were now off to the hospital. At this time, a song came on my radio. As I listened to the words, I feared that they may be facing devastating news today. So, I prayed harder, turning all my attention to God.

Unfortunately, my evening ended with such heartbreaking news for this dear woman and her family.

I don't know what she and her husband are facing right now. I cannot say that I understand her pain. I don't. I don't understand God's plan for them. Right now it just seems so unfair and I find myself asking, why. But I do know that we serve an incredibly powerful, living God. I pray that through their pain and grieving, they feel His arms wrapping around them, providing them with the comfort they need tonight and in the weeks to come.