NIAW

In our society today, we've become accustom to seeing abbreviations like the one above. We text, we tweet, we even say them sometimes. But for many of you, you may not be familiar with the title of my post. It's National Infertility Awareness Week. According to Resolve's (The National Infertility Association) website,( http://www.resolve.org/ ) infertility affects 7.3 million people in the United States. Approximately 1/3 is attributed to the female partner, 1/3 to the male partner, and 1/3 is a combination of both or unexplained.

In our case, we were diagnosed with male factor infertility. When we first were diagnosed with MFIF, we dealt with it internally and shared it with just family and close friends. However, over the course of our journey, we both became more outspoken about it and wanted to share it. That's the way most infertile couples deal with their struggle. It's such a silent and private journey that takes you through a whirlwind of emotions. I'm so thankful for my family, close friends and my fellow sisters at Stepping Stones ( http://stepforums.bethany.org/ ) that encouraged, supported and prayed for us through our struggle.

While we are at peace with God's plan for us to be a family of 2, I have to say it was a long road to get there. Many tears were shed, many medical tests and procedures were performed, and many, many prayers were offered. And while we'll never know the answers to the whys this side of heaven, we do know that God continues to be faithful to us. He continues to show his love to us each and every day!

So to those of you who may have had a part in our journey, we are forever thankful that you walked with us! And to those of you who may be walking the same road, please know that God is faithful through it all! I would recommend also that you check either website I've posted. Alot of good information and support can be found on both websites.

Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31NLT

Grace and Mercy

Grace is defined in the following way:

1.elegance or beauty of form, manner, motion, or action:

2. a pleasing or attractive quality or endowment:  

3. favor or goodwill. 

4. a manifestation of favor, especially by a superior:

5. mercy; clemency; pardon:

Mercy is defined in the following way:

1. compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence: 

2. the disposition to be compassionate or forbearing:

3. the discretionary power of a judge to pardon someone or to mitigate punishment, especially to send to prison rather than invoke the death penalty.

4. an act of kindness, compassion, or favor:

5. something that gives evidence of divine favor; blessing:

 

It is through these two words that God continues to prick my heart when dealing with those around me. He calls us to have and extend both of these to all we come into contact with on a daily basis. For me that can be difficult! You have those in your life that you continually have to extend these to. And in some cases it's not ever reciprocated to you. It feels like you've been slapped in the face each time. Oh how it hurts! There are those people who are unthankful, unkind, unlovable perhaps, or even wicked that God places in our lives. It's those exact people that He says deserve grace and mercy the most. In his word he tells us "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked." Luke 6:35 (NLT)

 

And I think it can't be done. Yet, God does it to me every day! Through his great love he extends grace and mercy to me each day. I am unthankful, unkind, even unlovable in my relationship with my heavenly Father and still He gives me the grace, mercy and forgiveness I need. Why? Because the depth of His love for me is unbelievable! I have to love others the way he loves me. With the help of the Holy Spirit my ways have to become His ways. I have to be Jesus to others in all that I do, say, and think!

 

So today I'm going to decide to love the unlovely. I'm going to be kind to those who are unkind. I'm going to be patient with those who invade my space. I'm going to be Jesus to those around me!!

 

Thank you Lord for loving me unconditionally! Because only you know where I would be without it! It's my prayer that I can do the same with others you've placed in my life. May others see Jesus in me every day! Amen

It's been a while since I've posted on the blog. When I started this blog it was to have a record of our journey with infertility and adoption. I struggled with keeping the blog because there wasn't too much to blog about. Yes I could do the everyday type of blog but I have to admit my life isn't that exciting. Some days feel like I'm stuck on repeat. I had those moments when I would post something I thought was significant but it seems like those were few and far between as well. So I stopped posting.

However, I have been challenged by God to make use of this blog for his glory! Now I can't say that there'll be daily posts but I do have the feeling God will continue to send those opportunities that I can't help but share with others.

In the past few weeks, God has taught me about prayer and the importance of it. Through my daily devotionals, a book I'm reading, a sermon by my pastor and even other people, God is teaching me that prayer is essential in my relationship with Him. Prayer is the key to commuicating with God. He wants us to pray to Him all the time! Not just in those moments when we need Him but even when things are going well for us. He doesn't want to be last when all other things we've done fail, He wants to be the first place to go to.

A friend shared a story about prayer with me yesterday and I knew that I needed to share with it with others. It was the confirmation I needed from God to let me know that He truly orders our steps each day. It showed me that through all the teaching and reading I've done, prayer is essential to our relationship to Him.

The story is my co-workers brother in law, which I'll call Sam Jones, told about how God had impressed upon his heart to go and give his co-worker, Julie, a hug. Just like I would have thought, he just could wrap his head around why God would place that on his heart. And yet the impression wouldn't go away. Sam didn't know Julie that well but finally the opportunity presented itself that he should go up to her and give her the hug. As he approached her, before he could say anything, she stopped him and told him that she knew why he was there. She told him, "you're Sam Jones and you're suppose to give me a hug." He couldn't believe what she just said. (I have chill bumps again just typing that). She went on to explain to him that she had been struggling with an alcohol addiction. And she prayed to God that if he still loved her, he would send Sam Jones to give me a hug. Who would think that she could pray such a specific prayer and that God would answer that pray for her? How awesome and amazing is my God!!

The answer for her was a yes. And I know that every prayer isn't answered with a yes. We have those prayers that are prayed and God firmly tells us no. And yet we don't accept that answer. We take it upon ourselves to work it out for our good, even though God has answered that for us. It makes it hard to pray when we anticpate that God may say no to our request. Then we have those requests that God calls us to wait and boy do those prayers cause us so much worry and anxiety. I know that it's in those times that God is just refining and preparing us for when he will answer those requests.

We have to communicate with God all the time! Not just for those things we want either. Yes he wants to know our heart's desire but he also wants us to know His heart's desire for us. We should be like David, a man after God's own heart! It's only through prayer and studying His word that we're going to achieve that.

I didn't realize that this post would be this long but I truly hope and pray that through some of it, you've received a blessing! I know that I have!

And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. 1 John 5: 14-15