During the darkest days of our infertility journey, my prayers went like this: “How long O Lord? How long will you keep us childless?” There’s not a lot of joy in this. Asking for the same thing over and over. Being stuck. I’ve heard from a lot of couples dealing with infertility the feeling of …
infertility
How Will You Be Kind on Father’s Day?
Not all men are fathers. Men can long for children and not have them or lost a child in their family. Families can have their fathers taken from them too soon. Father’s Day is tough day for many. Let’s not forget! The anticipation of what will be said (or not said) in church, especially on …
When Life is Really Hard and You Can’t Talk About It
Life is really hard and we have to learn to talk about it. In so many Christian communities I know, there’s such a “How are you?” “I am fine” sweetness in the air. We look pretty. We talk pretty. And we go home from being together as hurt as we walked in the doors. For, …
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Need a Inclusive Prayer for Mother’s Day?
This weekend, Mother’s Day, while joy-filled for many is full of anxiety for others. If you’re in the anxiety producing camp, know I am with you. It’s so hard to have complicated feelings about the mothers in your life. It’s so hard to have longings for children (or relationships) unfulfilled. Or to be grieving when …
How do you get through infertility? A Guest Post
Our National Infertility Week series continues today. (Did you miss the post from Chris Thomas earlier? If so, stop now and read it here). I’m so glad to introduce you to Maren McLean Persaud, my new favorite Canadian who tells a story of hope, longing and loss. Here are her beautiful words- _______________ This past fall, we …
Birthed One Year Ago
Happy birthday, Birthed! One year ago– December 6, 2016, my first book was birthed into the world! Oh happy day. I can remember the emotions of that week so clearly. Friends and family who’d heard me talk about “that book project” for years finally held their hands on a real life copy. All of my …
How Do Grieve During the Holidays?
Someone around you is grieving right now. Even if you don’t know his or her name. Even if you don’t know why. Even if you’ll never know why. So many people grieve on overdrive at this time of year. Recently, I was teaching at “Attending to the Grief We Don’t See” workshop at a congregation …
Prayer for the Grieving Mother
Today, October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day. I’m lighting a candle alongside so many of you for all the children in my life who could have been. In the deepest points of my pain of child loss and infertility in 2011, I found myself on a plane headed toward Israel on an …
When You’ve Lost a Child
One of the deepest heartaches for any parent is the loss of a child. No matter if the child was a grown adult, a school aged student or a still-born infant . . . I would even add to this list that there’s also great pain in the loss of a child who did not …
Becoming What I Always Wanted?
I always wanted to be mother. I wanted to read What to Expect When You Are Expecting with a round belly. I wanted to muse about preschools, brands of diapers and swaddling techniques with experience with my college girlfriends. I wanted a lifetime ticket into the “mom’s club.” During years of “trying to have a child,” …
Gifts I’ll Take From Infertility: A Guest Post by Lauren Bennett
Hey friends- thanks for hanging with me this week during National Infertility Week hearing these stories. I hope you’ve had your eyes opened to how common infertility is– touching people in all walks of life. I’m so glad to meet Lauren, a friend of a friend and blog reader this week. I was so excited to …
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Changing My Mind About Infertility: A Guest Post by Lara Webb
It’s National Infertility Awareness week. Welcome to several new readers of Preacher on the Plaza! And I’m happy to use this blog over the next couple of days to give others a platform to share their stories of grief, loss and deferred longing. Even if “infertility” is not your thing and you read my blog for …
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