Suffering

Secondary Infertility: Awkward Sorrow, Useful Instructor

Secondary Infertility: Awkward Sorrow, Useful Instructor

A woman in the grip of secondary infertility lives in a peculiar space. In all likelihood, someone at home calls her “Mommy”—and this brings an awkward sorrow. Like Rachel, holding her child can inspire both joy and a ceaseless ache for another (Gen. 30:24).

Couples—and those called to love and serve them—are often tempted to mask or trivialize the pain of secondary infertility. After all, to someone longing for children who remains childless, a couple with secondary infertility appears to be living the dream. But distinctions between types of infertility don’t justify minimizing the pain of either one.

When we fail to acknowledge the reality of our experiences, we fail to look for what God may be teaching us in them (James 1:2–4). Secondary infertility can be a useful instructor, reminding us—and our church families—of at least three truths about our God, our pain, and our hope.

Read the full article at The Gospel Coalition.

The Global Church Starts at My Dinner Table

The Global Church Starts at My Dinner Table

My 8-year-old daughter has the job of reading prayer requests during family worship. The requests come from a monthly calendar sent by International Christian Response, a group that offers spiritual and material assistance to the persecuted church. Every evening, her small voice announces the trials and victories of God’s people around the world. Continue at Christianity Today.

Our Home Flooded...And Yet There’s Good News

Unfortunately for us, DC’s successive storms exposed tree roots in sewage pipes connected to our home. Summer rain can be beautiful, but not when it’s in your living room. This year’s torrential pours have brought unusual things to our family, I’ll name a few: 1) “interesting objects” from the sewer, 2) an unplanned exit from our home (resulting in 16 days of temporary relocation in several places), and 3) the temptation to grow anxious. As our family moved around, we were met with other kinds of storms. Phone calls came bringing news of unexpected death and illness in our extended family. Indeed, this has been The Summer of Rain.

Prayer and the Fellowship of Believers- Lessons from a Widow and Her Oil

Prayer and the Fellowship of Believers- Lessons from a Widow and Her Oil

The widow had nothing but a single jar of oil. Elisha tells her to borrow many vessels from her neighbors. Her jar of oil would miraculously multiply as she poured it into each vessel. God’s means of provision for this woman sends her to many doors on that day—the more she knocked on, the more vessels she would receive. The more vessels she borrowed, the more oil she would have for her son’s freedom and for their livelihood (2 Kings 4: 2-7).

Job’s Wife: God’s Forbearance ought to lead us to Repentance

Job’s Wife: God’s Forbearance ought to lead us to Repentance

Job’s wife reminds me of myself in some ways. I am certainly not above sounding like a foolish woman when faced with frustrations, disappointments and pain. My prayer is that God’s demonstrated kindness to me—above all, the atoning death and imputed righteousness of His Son—would continuously guard me to a faith that reveals itself in perseverance and joy in trial (James 1:2-5). I want to found clinging to Christ when weighed!