Don’t ignore…

Today marks the beginning of National Infertility Awareness Week!  This year’s theme is “Don’t ignore..”  It’s a great opportunity to specifically think about, pray about, and be aware of the painful issue that 1 in 8 couples face.

[Don’t ignore the signs of infertility.  Don’t ignore each other.  Don’t ignore people with infertility.  Don’t ignore the pain.]

It’s been overwhelming to me in the last couple of years how many people I have heard of or learned about that were facing or have faced infertility signs or issues.  It could be because I’m now in that circle… it could be because we’re in a generation where more people are willing to share their hearts… it could be because God is opening my eyes in a whole new way to be sensitive to hurting people.

It can definitely be a painful issue to discuss and everyone handles infertility differently.  But I believe in something that moves mountains in any situation – the power of PRAYER!!  People don’t always know what to say, people often don’t want to talk about it, people don’t want to step on others’ toes – but prayer can eliminate a lot of those things!  Philippians 4:6 says - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING… present your requests to God.”  Prayer creates peace – and there have been so many times that I’ve been on the verge of feeling like “I’m DONE!”  I can’t face one more person being pregnant, or I can’t face one more insensitive person’s comment because they are not aware of our circumstances.  But in most of those situations, God has given me a peace that I can’t even explain, through constant prayer and seeking His will.

I read a newsletter from a friend called Stepping Stones a couple of weeks ago.  It’s published for couples facing infertility or pregnancy loss.  I found the whole newsletter very meaningful, but there’s one article I’d like to share just because it’s something I’ve often thought about writing down and keeping track of myself.  Some couples that had faced the disappointment of infertility got together to make a “Top Ten” list of comments that infertile/struggling couples hate to hear.

1. “Guess who’s pregnant - again!”
2. “It will happen when you’re ready.”
3. “So-and-so prayed, and they got pregnant right away.”
4. “You’re being too insensitive.”
5. “Do you want me to give you a few pointers? (ha ha) Are you sure you know how babies are made?”
6. “I get pregnant so easily!  My husband just looks at me and a baby is on the way.”
7. “You’re lucky you don’t have kids -OR- I’ll gladly give you a couple of mine.”
8. “You’re not getting any younger –OR- When are you going to have kids anyway –OR- Are you really so selfish that you don’t want any children?”
9. “Adopt! You’ll get pregnant for sure.”
10. “Just relax!  You’re trying too hard.”

Do people really say this stuff??  Yes, you’d be surprised!  I’m sure before I was in this situation, I’ve been guilty of saying something dumb too.  But this week is all about AWARENESS!   

So here is my challenge to you.  If you know someone facing infertility – DON’T IGNORE it.  You don’t need the right words to say – just let them know you care and that you’re thinking about or praying for them.  Or if you don’t even want to bring it up, simply pray for them anyway without saying anything.  And if you don’t know of anyone that is struggling with infertility – DON’T IGNORE the issue - just pray for the many couples out there in general who might be facing this long/lonely/painful journey.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 34:7