"When are you getting married?"
When you're married without kids, people often ask,
"When are you guys thinking of having kids?"
When you are married with kids, people often ask,
"When are you guys thinking of having more?"
Although these questions have been known to be annoying, I often find myself asking them in conversation. I, personally, have never minded responding to them either, but answering that last one has been getting a little harder lately.
As many around here already know, Brandon and I have been wanting to get pregnant again for over a year now...since last August. Because my pregnancy with Caleb was unexpected, I think I expected to have a baby nine months from when the date we decided we wanted another one. I never dreamt it would take the fifteen or so months we have been waiting for a positive pregnancy test. God has had other plans, it seems.
Some days are honestly hard, but thankfully most are not. Overall, the Lord has shown His goodness to us in so many ways. I have grown more and more grateful for what He has given me...especially in our son...and I am cherishing each stage of his development. I have been able to better understand the struggles with infertility of some of my very best friends. And, most importantly, He has reminded me again and again that it is He who is directing my life, and the plans I so carefully lay out aren't always His. I am just grateful that His plans are so much better than mine...and so glad that one day I will get to see just how true that is.
So, I guess I am writing this to let you in on our struggle and ask for prayer. Please pray that we will trust Him and get to know Him better through this process of waiting. Please pray that we would walk well with Him through this...and that we would follow as He guides. We have thought and talked about adoption for a while now, as there is such great need out there for homes for so many kids. We had planned on having a few of our own before possibly adopting, but God might have other plans for us. Please pray for guidance with that as well. THANK YOU so much.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge Him,
and He will make your paths straight."
Proverbs 3:5-6
Thanks for sharing your heart, Mandy. We'll be praying for you as you think/pray about adoption and what the Lord has for your family.
ReplyDeleteMandy-
ReplyDeleteThanks for being willing to share. I have no doubt that it's been a painful thing to experience- even though it seems that God has been gracious to you through it. I will be praying that in His wisdom that God might allow you to get pregnant again or that He would direct your hearts in other directions (like adoption)- and that He would give you wisdom and clarity to know what to persue.
Mandy,
ReplyDeleteWhat a brave, precious woman of God you are! Thank you for sharing your struggle and your lesson of trust. We have also been trying since last year, and God has taught me so much - though sometimes painfully - about His loving heart for us. I will be praying for you in this with great empathy!
-Rachel (Clark) M.
p.s. It's been so long you probably don't remember me ;-) ...from Purdue, and now I live in SE Asia. (Taylor gave me the link to your blog.)
Hey friend,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this on your blog. I'm praying for you guys as always...I have been learning so much about hope and giving our plans over to the Lord. He has filled our cups to overflowing, but sometimes it's hard to believe that. I'm praying you can believe His truth over feelings. I miss you so much and can't wait to see you in two months!!!!! Your friendship means so much to me!
Love, Laura
hi friend! i hear you on the questions...seems like other people are usually thinking of my "next step" before i am...well, not exactly, but i try and enjoy the moment for what it is. thanks for being so vulnerable on your blog...and now that i know how to pray for you, i most certainly will! xoxoxoxo
ReplyDeleteI love you, friend. Your faith is really admirable. He's refining you and I pray you would come forth as gold. Whatever God has for you guys- whether it's another pregnancy or an adoption- this season of waiting is not in vain. Baby is worth all these long months of waiting. I pray for you every day.
ReplyDeletei just found your blog through the gpi moms one. i love that you let us into the struggle you've been going through. i'll be praying!
ReplyDelete