Sarah’s Laughter
I’d like to introduce my friend, Beth Forbus and Sarah’s Laughter Ministry to you. Beth, is my next door neighbor. Well, not the kind of neighbor who lives right next door but in the neighboring state of Louisiana, good ol’ cajun country! She has a thriving ministry reaching those who are hurting through infertility and infant loss.
A few years ago she came to one of our HOPE, Christian Infertility Support Group meetings at Lakewood Church and presented a memorial service for children lost to miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant loss. The grief the women experienced was validated by Beth’s message. You could see their mourning turn to joy and their ashes turned into beauty. Beth is presenting another memorial service April 6, 2013. If you or someone you know have suffered loss I’d encourage you to attend if you live nearby (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) or email Beth if you are struggling in this area.
Not only does Beth present memorial services, she writes Daily Double Portions. DDP’s as they’re called . They are email inbox inspirations encouraging you in your relationship with Christ as you are going through infertility. I encourage you to subscribe to her Daily Double Portions, you’ll be glad you did! Please link up to her website and take note of the valuable resources she offers.
Sarah’s Laughter
www.Sarahs-Laughter.com
I”ve included one of her most recent DDP’s (with her permission). Take a few moments to read it, I know you’ll be encouraged!
I pray you all have a blessed week!
Love ya’ll,
Lesli
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Important Things
by Beth Forbus
There was a study done that looked at the compliance rates for patients undergoing treatment for infertility. They found that fertility patients were as committed to their treatment plans or more so than any other patients, except cancer patients. The fertility patient understood the importance of compliance with treatment. The woman who so desperately wants to have a baby will do whatever it takes to conceive. If a report surfaces that says it is important for a woman’s fertility for her to eat lots of African yams, then the infertile woman will travel to whatever grocery store she can find that carries them and will eat them until her skin turns orange, just on the outside chance that it will help. She’ll lie on acupuncturists’ tables, try any variety of diets and exercise, assume whatever post-baby-dance position successful friends have suggested and rearrange any number of schedules to make sure her medications are taken at the exact moment the doctor prescribed–not one minute before, not one minute after. And for the love of God and everything holy, don’t even let her man even look toward a hot tub! She’ll body slam him right there on the side walk! It’s important to keep his body cool these days! She knows that all of these things are vitally important in her quest for a baby, and she must see to it that each and every suggestion is followed precisely.
In the midst of keeping up with all of these truly important things in your journey toward parenthood–and these are important things–have you forgotten the most important thing? Has your relationship with God withered? It’s easy to pull away from Him if it feels like He is the cause of the hurt that infertility has brought into your life. If your heart feels bruised, remind yourself that infertility is not His way of laughing at your pain, or some demented way of deriving pleasure from your sorrow. On the contrary, He works through this crisis in your life to bring you into closer relationship with Him so you can know Him more, so you can hear His voice more clearly, so you can see Him working in your life. Let’s take a moment and learn a quick lesson about what Jesus said were the two most important things in maintaining our relationship with God, no matter what crisis life brings.
1. Jesus very clearly taught us that the greatest commandment of all was to love God. To love Him wholeheartedly, with everything in us. With our whole heart, our soul and with our whole mind. (Matthew 22:37) He said this mattered more than the command to not commit adultery, to not lie or steal. It is even greater than the command to not murder someone!
2. He also showed us with His actions that prayer was to be a priority. In Mark 11:15-17 we see Jesus doing something that must have shocked His disciples. He entered a temple and saw moneychangers taking advantage of the people. They were cheating the people out of money by selling them less than perfect animals for sacrifices. In a rage, Jesus fashioned a whip out of ropes and went after them! I’m sure He let out quite a roar as He turned over their tables, threw their money everywhere, chased their animals away. It was quite chaotic!
When He had cleansed the temple of the people who brought the filth of unclean hearts to His Father’s house, Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations…” (Mark 11:17) He showed with His actions how important prayer is. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19) Prayer must be a priority in your temple. Don’t let the stress and the frustration of infertility cause you to let your prayer life weaken or die. If prayer has become a less frequent or less vibrant part of your relationship with God, you can refresh this part of your walk with Him today.
Don’t forget the important things. Follow the treatment plan laid out for you in cooperation with your medical team. Remember all the wonderful things about your spouse that attracted you to him in the first place. Remind yourself that infertility is a season in your life, and that it will not last forever. But most importantly, nourish your relationship with your heavenly Father. He loves you. He’s passionate about you, and He will bring you through this struggle in your life with blessings you never could have imagined.