"They that sow in tears shall reap in joy."
Psalm 126:5
Jody and I had been married a little over a year and looked forward to starting a family. We embraced the perfection our "Angel baby" would bring into our lives. Every time I held an infant, I envisioned the day I would hold my own baby. In anticipation of a quick conception, I started a journal to my Angel baby. However, instead of a quick conception, we faced years of infertility. Empty Arms--A Heavy Load to Carry documents the struggles we faced.Unfortunately, we were not the only couple to face this type of crisis. I was just one of the 6.1 million American women suffering from infertility today. The subject of infertility is often kept silent because of the private aspect of our lives that it involves. But the Bible made reference to several barren women including: Hannah, Rachel, and Elisabeth. God showed mercy on these women by giving them miraculous blessings. The Bible described Hannah as being provoked by her adversary. She wept sorely and was bitter in her soul. Rachel pleaded with Jacob, "Give me children or else I die!" Elisabeth's pain was not expressed in the Bible, but was confirmed in Luke 1:25 as she stated, "Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein he looked on me, to take away my reproach among men." The Bible only briefly describes the heartache, turmoil, and pain women still face today.
Some feel ashamed and alone as infertility infiltrates and ravishes every aspect of their lives, robbing them of any feelings of "normalcy." Emotions are then held hostage and forced to violent extremes of hope and loss as the heavy burden of being childless is made unbearable.
My prayer is to provide hope and encouragement by simply sharing my story. I believe my personal journey can reach out to those who are hurting and offer a glimpse of God's faithfulness during this time of uncertainty in their lives. If you have ever questioned God, felt He has abandoned you, or have lost faith--read on. There is hope within the hurting.
In His Love,
Dorothy Donham