Infertility and miscarriage have been viewed in the past as something you just don’t talk about. People tend to be very private about these matters. And to be honest, so was I. In the first six months of trying to get pregnant, I really didn’t tell anyone. Even after our first loss, I didn’t tell people for months. It wasn’t until about January (which was after about one year of trying) that I really began to open up and share my story with people other than family and close friends. The question has been asked about why I feel the need to share my struggles so openly. Well…. here’s why!
- We are called to have community with one another. One of God’s sweetest gifts is the opportunity to have biblical fellowship with people around us. Knowing that you are not alone on this journey of pain and heartache. Knowing that people are praying with you daily. Knowing that on the bad days you can call up a sister in Christ and just cry together. Walking through difficult circumstances is when you need friends the most. Friends that hold you accountable, encourage you, pray for and with you, ask how you’re doing, and are there for you at any given time of day. God never intended for us to walk through life alone, and especially not the difficult seasons. Community is a gift from God… use it!
- Secondly, I know that somehow, some way, God wants to use my story to reach others. He already has used this blog in such a powerful way and connected me with women who I otherwise would never have met. He gave me the opportunity to minister to a pregnant teenager in Nicaragua who was thinking about aborting her baby. ((more on that in another post!)) He’s used this stage in my life to teach me numerous lessons, and I try my best to share those lessons with others. Every month that this journey continues, I can’t help but to believe that He’s not finished, He’s still working, and somehow He is continuing to write my story for His glory.
- Thirdly (and probably least importantly), writing and sharing about my journey is actually therapeutic for me. It forces me to really evaluate my emotions, dig deep to put words around what God is showing me and teaching me, and it brings me joy to think that these words might be encouraging to even just one person out there somewhere.
My encouragement to women who are struggling with anything at all is this: don’t try to hold everything in and keep this to yourself. Be vulnerable and open up to a sister in Christ. Share your story with your small group or an accountability partner. Let people pray for you! God wants to use your story, and He is certainly not finished with you.