These wonderful ladies get it! Meaning, they get the crux of everything... life!
They grieve the loss of their fertility precisely because they understand what a precious gift it is. Their loss would not be so great if the gift withheld were not so good.
We live in a culture where people throw away fertility with both hands via contraception and sterilization. (And that comes just one step before throwing away life itself via abortion.)
In our culture, fertility is seen and treated as a disease instead of the blessing that it is. We even have pills and surgeries to "fix" it. (As if something were broken? Hello?)
When so many women can't sterilize themselves fast enough, the IF bloggers stand as a beacon of light and a sign of contradiction. Mourning the loss of fertility is right order. The women who understand that have been given a great and precious gift.
I don't pity my infertile friends. I pity the others, who don't know enough or care enough to cherish fertility as the precious and undeserved gift that it is.
So, without wanting to sound corny, I want to thank my dear IF friends for cherishing what should be cherished, and mourning what should be mourned! I admire you so, and you are surely pleasing to God, Who is the Author of Life!
You guys rock!!! :)
Wow-thank you! A million times, thank you. Just to know that somebody out there sees this for what it is makes me feel so much better!
ReplyDeleteditto!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I agree with Kaitlin, it's nice that somebody recognizes our struggle for what it is. You're totally right about our culture--my favorite is on BC commercials when they say it prevents the "risk" of pregnancy--like it is such a horrible thing!! SHEESH!! GIMME the risk of pregnancy!! The risk of heart disease, the risk of cancer, the risk of pregnancy. It brings to mind that Sesame Street song--one of these things is not like the others...
ReplyDeleteI really really needed to hear today that some people 'get it'. Thank you for posting this. It came at a good time for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing you and your kind comments are to us. Thank you.
ReplyDeletewell said. I do believe that is the whole tragedy of it all, the one's who have it don't want it and the ones who want fertility so desperately don't have it easily!
ReplyDeleteloving this post :) there sure is something sacred about the IF blogs, isn't there...
ReplyDeleteIt's taken me a long time to realize that IF is a gift. Not only do I have a solid relationship with my husband, but I've grown deeper in my faith and have grown so much as a person.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I will rejoice and sing when this cross gets lifted from my shoulders, but I know that when I am blessed with children that I will never take them for granted and I will thank the Lord for bringing them to me. Good things come to those who wait, yes?
Thanks for this concise post. It really hits it on the money. The culture really has it backwards and those with IF actually are blessed to be able have their priorities in order.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leila! You are so sweet! I'd hug you if I could! *Hugs!* :)
ReplyDeleteAmen Leila! With secondary IF we had so many family members who couldn't figure out what the big deal was in wanting another child. It was so sad to us and, like you, we felt bad for THEM! And ourselves, but that's another story :)
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
That was a great post that GIMH wrote! I'm not sure how I missed it before! :)
ReplyDeleteBut you hit the nail on the head....It's a struggle, but I do and have thought of awhile our struggle balances out the culture of death in some way.
I won’t comment on my own awesomeness, but I agree it is a beautiful group of ladies and each has made me better (including the author of this post). I don’t know that I would have the strength I do without their support and example.
ReplyDeleteLove the post. The IF bloggers are a lovely group of ladies and I have learned so much from them and have gotten so much support.
ReplyDeleteAmen! We are blessed by this beautiful online community.
ReplyDeleteIs there a patron saint of the internet or blogging?? :)
It's really important to remember that there is redemption in the Cross which we all participate in when we carry our individual crosses. I have a different cross, but it was made especially for me because it was specifically designed to help me to become the person God wants me to be.
ReplyDeleteThe Scripture "God's strength is made perfect in weakness" was always difficult for me to understand.............until I received a cross. I carried this cross for years in bitterness, thinking myself such a 'trooper' for being able to carry it without complaining too much to others. God sent Leila to me.....we met on the internet doing apologetics.....and she was a good enough friend that I could pour out my complaints to her and my family was spared much anguish. (Read what Aquinas has to say about habits.) I was weaned from complaining. It took years. Leila knows. Boy, does she ever. Finally, I "received" the cross, which is different from "patiently bearing" it.....in God's time, not mine.....and I can testify that bearing a cross patiently is a good and holy thing.......but when I received my cross with joy, the joy was returned to me, and my cup runneth over. Leila hardly hears a whimper from me anymore, though the weight of my cross is the same, and it is because I am satisfied with Christ in my whole being, as a bride on her honeymoon. Such weight...but...there is no weight, because the joy uplifts me. I still struggle with sin and always will. I'm a political blogger and do get into some serious emotional entanglements with that.....but I am, nevertheless, truly a person of joy now. I confess that I fear sharing this with people who would ridicule me for lack of understanding it, God bless them. I know I can share it here and I don't care who reads it here.....but post this on my blog? Too afraid. I am a thousands times more fearless now than I was before I found the Church in my twenties....but still have fears. I have a long way to go.......but I have a relationship with Jesus that is beyond sustaining. My cup truly runneth over.
Thank you, Leila....and all of you for being people I can share this with.
Blessings.
P.S. Regina Doman's personal story in regard to "fears" was a life-changer for me, too.
ReplyDeleteI posted this at my other blog.
ReplyDeleteHi, I just found your blog. I wanted to say great post, and thank you ! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Suzie. :-)
ReplyDelete