Infertility Encouragement from Sarah's LaughterSample

Pictures

I arrived early for an appointment the other day. To pass the time, I pulled out my smartphone and looked at some old photos.

As I looked at each picture, a story would flood my mind. “Wow! My brother-in-law turned fifty that day. He sure is getting old.” I started to chuckle. “Oh! There’s the house Mom & Dad decided not to buy. Glad they didn’t get that one.”

But then I realized: every picture represented an answered prayer. That 50-year-old brother-in-law? At 33 years old, the doctors told him to say goodbye to his family, because they said his heart wouldn’t last more than two more weeks. God said differently, and he’s alive and well today. The house my parents passed on? A hurricane recently blew its roof off, while the house God led them to—just one street over—was untouched.

Other photos held other testimonies. A loved one who survived brain surgery because the Great Physician was in the operating room with her. My husband’s photo reminded me of how sure I am that God brought us together for a lifetime. My blond haired sister surrounded by darling African faces because of the passion of the Great Commission. The beautiful face of a child born to an infertile mother because God opened her womb. All these reminders of answered prayers.

As you wait for a baby, why not look back over the things God has already done in your life? Go through the folders of your memories and envision the faces of those you love. How has God moved in their lives and in yours? What are the prayers He has beautifully answered? If you can’t think of what to thank God for while you wait for Him to work His plan for your family, do what I did. Go through your photos. Look at the faces of your family and friends. Tell God how grateful you are for His hand on their lives and on yours.

Before I knew it, I had scrolled through all of my pictures and found something to be grateful for in nearly every one. I turned off my phone, whispered a prayer of thanks, and still made it to my meeting on time.