"Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous"(Romans 4:18-22 NLT)
A former employer of mine spoke at church today, and this was one of the verses he started with. Working at his print shop was probably the best job I have ever had. It was definitely a blessing. What I can't seem to get away from this week though, is the power of faith, enduring hope, and holding on to God's promises. Every where I turn, those principles seem to keep coming up. With this post, I thought I might suggest some books that have helped remind me of those things over and over again.
The book I'm currently reading is called "Unrelenting Prayer" by Bob Sorge. It is based on the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18. This parable was already near and dear to my heart even before reading this book, because these were the verses I believe God gave me for Josh and I when we were going through our issues. The way this book breaks the parable down is so encouraging, but also covers all the why questions that I struggle with. When I get worn out with pleading and praying for a baby, thinking I'm never going to get an answer, this book encourages me again.
The book "Supernatural Childbirth" by Jackie Mize is a book a friend suggested I read over a year ago, and I forgot about, until another friend gave it to me to read at our life group just a few weeks ago. The author and her husband wrote this book back in the 1960's or 1970's, I believe, but it is still so incredibly relevant. She teaches you how to pray the scriptures over your body and have the faith to believe what you're praying will actually happen.
Another book that has helped me over the last few years is called "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow. This book isn't necessarily about infertility, but it did help me deal with a lot of infertility's nasty by-products like worry, fear, not being content, and anxiety. One of the most powerful statements to me was at the very beginning of the book - "Contentment is a state of the heart, not a state of affairs." Geez, how many times have I had to repeat that to myself? Over and over and over again.
The book that started it all though, is a book called "Hannah's Hope" by Jennifer Saake. This, of course, follows the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. Not only does this book speak to those who are dealing with infertility, but at the end of each chapter it also has a section for those friends and or family of the couple trying to conceive. I know it can be hard for those friends and family sometimes too just knowing what or what not to say. Don't be discouraged! We know you want the best for us.
I may not be there yet, but I'm striving to be like Abraham in the verses at the beginning of this post. He never wavered in his belief that God would fulfill His promises, and the Lord came through. Even when my faith struggles, He still wants to keep His promises.
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