Thursday, February 28, 2013

Thoughts about children or the lack thereof...

It might seem odd for a woman who's getting close to 37 weeks pregnant to be thinking about infertility, but for some reason it was on my mind today.

I feel so lucky that we were able to conceive and that so far the pregnancy has gone so smoothly. I learned after getting married that sooo many more couples struggle with infertility than I had ever thought. Some of those struggles are fairly temporary, some are more lengthy, but I think all of them cause heartache.

Occasionally, you'll hear people say things like "Being blessed with this baby is evidence that God loves me." This is a true statement. All things we have are blessings from God. But unfortunately, it can be easy for a couple who wasn't blessed with a baby to think that because they're infertile, God must not love them as much. Let me say clearly: this is absolutely not true.

The Lord's timing is always calculated to bless us. He is our father, and he loves us perfectly to a degree beyond our ability to truly comprehend. He is watching over us, and knows the experiences and trials that will transform us into who we are supposed to come. Some of those trials can be very heartrending. But if we endure them well, God will turn them to our blessing.

Isaiah taught this truth very beautifully when he said:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound... To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; (Isaiah 61: 1,3 - emphasis added)
This is what Christ and his atonement do for us: turns our ashes into beauty. Notice by the way, that the people who were mourning were the residents of Zion. Even those who dwell in Zion (and maybe especially those who dwell in Zion) experience mourning and ashes and heaviness. Christ's atonement is as much for them in their trials and heartaches as it is for their sins and transgressions.

If you are struggling with painful trials, I would encourage you to turn to the Lord. Come unto Christ by seeking him through sincere prayer and study of his words. Your burdens won't always go away when you do this, but I do know that when we come unto Christ in the midst of our afflictions, he makes those burdens light so that we cannot "feel them upon [our] backs" (see Mosiah 24:9-15).

Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul? 
Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One. 
He answers privately,
Reaches my reaching
In my Gethsemane, Savior and Friend.
Gentle the peace he finds for my beseeching.
Constant he is and kind,
Love without end. 
Text: Emma Lou Thayne


6 comments:

  1. beautiful... thanks for the reminder and your sweet testimony!

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  2. Thank you for your wonderful post. Even if you have no problem having children there can still be times where it is difficult to become pregnant. It can be difficult to be patient for God's timing but someday we will realize that he knows exactly what he is doing.

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  3. Well said beautiful granddaughter. Sometimes it takes years to understand His timing, but it is always worth the wait.

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  4. You are so awesome! I love reading your thoughts and testimony of the Lord's plan and His Love for each of us. Thank you for your constant example!!

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  5. Sarah. Thank you.
    Why isn't it easier to remember all of this stuff for real?
    -amelia

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