Heart’s Desire – Finding Strength and Direction from God

[waitingforMia]

This thread is a place for Christians (and those just seeking) to build each other up with spiritual truths about who we are in Christ, whether “infertile” or not! I hope this will be a place to share prayer requests, bible verses, words of encouragement, or even to let off a little steam.

My dh and I have been ttc for 8 years now and I know the rollercoaster life of a Christian who prays for her heart's desire. So no matter where you find yourself on this rollercoaster ride please post and know I have committed to pray for you!

MP

[waitingforMia]

I'll start

One story from the Bible that I draw strength from is Shadrach, Meshack and Abendego (Daniel 3). The three of them refused to bow down and worship an image King Nebuchadnezzar declared as law, so the king threatened to throw them into the fiery furnace. Shadrach, meshack, and Abendego's response was our God is able to save us from the fiery furnace, BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN"T, WE WILL STILL PRAISE HIM. The three survived the firey furnace. But that is something I always pray. “God I want a child, and I know you can provide me with one, but even if you don't I will still praise you.”

Have a blessed day!
MP

[weezie]

Mia: thanks for sharing and starting this thread.

[Angela37firsttimeivf]

Yes, I agree. What an excellent thread. I've been waiting for this one. I'm on my fifth try because God is telling me not to give up. If it doesn't work, I know God will have another plan for me. Keep praying, God does answer prayers, althouigh sometimes not directly, but He really does know what is best for us.

[waitingforMia]

Welcome Weezie and Angela! I will add the two of you to my prayer list!

MP

[Hope644]

YAY, MP!

I'm so glad you started this thread and re-told the story of S, M & A along with your personal story. As I told you before, reading your story was quite an inspiration for me... I hope it can encourage others as well.

I personally find myself looking at the lives of Sarah (mother of Isaac) and Elizabeth (mother of John the Baptist). Both Sarah and Elizabeth found themselves to become with child late in years. Sarah was 90! While age isn't necessarily a factor or the main factor that many of us have in our struggle - it is encouraging to me to know that when we place our trust in the Lord, we see His true nature. He is faithful and true. He has a good plan for our lives and wants us to allow Him to bring it to be - His plan, not ours.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."



"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!" Luke 1:45

MP, Weezie & Angela- I will be praying for each of you. This is a tough struggle, but God is there to help us along the way... and thanks to this site & this thread, we can also be here for each other.

[waitingforMia]

Welcome Hope!

I love Jer. 29:11. I sometimes have to remind myself that God never promised me the plans I have created for myself. Knowing that He has a plan gives me peace.

MP

[Hope644]

Hi Ladies -

I was just reminded from another thread that God is GOOD... and He is... He is GOOD all the time. I know for me, at least, I tend to think about how great He is when I'm happy... but He *IS* good all the time, whether we're happy, sad, lonely, angry, whatever...

Psalm 118:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.

[waitingforMia]

Thanks Hope for that reminder. I wanted to share an excerpt from Swindoll I read this morning. Us IF girls no a lot about waiting don't we?? Here is a little encouragement:

DARKNESS BEFORE THE DAWN
by Charles R. Swindoll

Read Genesis 40:20-41:1

The process of discovering, processing, purifying, and shaping gold is a lengthy, painstaking process. Affliction is gold in the making for the child of God, and God is the one who determines how long the process takes. He alone is the Refiner.

This is where Joseph was when we left him. He is still in process. His gold is still being refined. His heart is still being broken by affliction and abandonment.

Those two full years for Joseph were neither exciting nor eventful. They represented a long, dull, monotonous, unspectacular, slow-moving grind. Month after month after month of . . . well, nothing. Not even the Genesis account attempts to make those years seem meaningful. Because they weren't.

That's what it's like when you're in a period of waiting. Nothing's happening! Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.

On the other hand, it only seems like nothing is happening. In reality, a whole lot is happening. Events are occurring apart from our involvement. Furthermore, we are being strengthened. We are being established. We are being perfected. We are being refined into pure gold.

We're back to my earlier comment---Joseph is being shaped for greatness. All whom God uses greatly are first hidden in the secret of His presence, away from the pride of man. It is there our vision clears. It is there the silt drops from the current of our life and our faith begins to grasp His arm. Abraham waited for the birth of Isaac. Moses didn't lead the Exodus until he was eighty. Elijah waited beside the brook. Noah waited 120 years for rain. Paul was hidden away for three years in Arabia. The list doesn't end. God is working while His people are waiting, waiting, waiting. Joseph is being shaped for a significant future.

That's what's happening. For the present time, nothing. For the future, everything!



Taken from Charles R. Swindoll, Great Days with the Great Lives (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2005). Copyright © 2005 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Have a blessed day!

MP

[Hope644]

MP - Thanks for the encouragement. I love knowing that this time that we spend waiting and hoping is not for nothing.

[nicaliw]

Hi ladies,
I'm so glad someone started this thread. It means a lot to know there are other people with the same beliefs that are going through this journey.
When my hubbie and I first started this journey it created an extra challenge on our relationship because my husband feels like we should leave it all up to God and not try to take these matters into our own hands. He knew how much it meant to me to try IVF so he agreed...and here we are.
I have enjoyed reading your posts tonight and I'd love to pray for each of you....I often pray for ladies who are appealing for comfort and strength on this message board.
I'm also in need of prayer myself. This has been an especially hard few weeks. I am waiting for my bet hcg after my miscarriage so I can move on to a frozen cycle. I found out today it was 11 on Friday, so its almost there. Praise God. I also am dealing with a lot of pain right now because my wisdom teeth started acting up almost 3 weeks ago. On Thursday I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed. As a consequence I started taking percocet for the pain. This past couple of days I have suffered the worst constipation you could ever imagine. Sorry if tmi, but thats one of the side effects of the pain meds. I feel so bad for anyone who deals with constipation like that on a regular basis. So, I'm a bit of a mess right now. I finally pooped less than an hour ago but my tummy is twisted up after all the laxatives and not eating a thing all day. My jaw is killing me where my wisdom teeth used to be but I'm afraid to take pain meds and I'm still frustrated because it will still be while before I can move on to my next cycle.
I didn't mean for this to be such a long vent but I am desperate for some support and prayer right now.
You are all wonderful and will be in my prayers.
Nikki

[PrincessB]

to Nical,
You cracked me up! Alot of the same things I'm feeling. lol

I'm really thankful for this board. We all need to pray for each other and help each other through. God has a plan for each of us. The hardest part for me has been that I just didnt know what that plan was. I have prayed so much.

For the longest time I felt like it was my calling to adopt and at some point I still want to adopt but I would like to have a baby as well. I have also read about Abraham and Sarah over and over and I can totally relate. It's God's word telling us that in HIS time we will receive!

After praying relentlessly and asking God for a sign or dream I had a dream. To make a long story short in my dream someone was following me and i was scared. When he caught up with me he touched my stomach twice. As soon as he turned to leave I knew that he opened my womb. I said "thank you!" and he turned to me and smiled. I woke up.
We just had two beautiful embies transferred on Thursday and I believe that God was telling me it was all okay.

Please keep me in your prayers as I will do the same for each of you ladies!

[waitingforMia]

Welcome Nikki and Princess!! Hope and I were getting lonely I will definitely pray for each of you. I have felt God's calling to start a ministry for fellow IFers for a couple of years; I though tthis would be my first small step .

Princess: Congrats on the two embies take it easy, and I will pray for God's will in your life. and peace as you are in your tww.

Nikki: I am sorry to hear about your m/c. ALso the added physical problems I am sure are not easy at this time! Please vent any time you want!

Hope: I hope you had a relaxing weekend!

Weezie and Angela where are ya'll at in your cycles?


In addition to dealing with the normal rollercoaster IF brings, we also deal with a struggle of finding God's will in all of this. I have several family member who think I should wait for God to give me a miracle (obviously they don't know the statistics of IVF and realize that every pg is a miracle) and what came to mind was poor vision. I told my sis when your eyes started going bad you didn't just pray for God to heal your sight. You went to the doctor who by God's grace is able to give you glasses. The same for me. But I know it is still a personal decision and God does not call every Christian to pursue IVF. For me I prayed about it a long time and there were several years I just gave up the idea. Dh had never had a strong desire to have kids and did not want to adopt and I gave my grief to God in exchange for His peace. a year ago my dh started talking about IVF and I started praying and at first didn't even want to pursue IVF! I prayed for my desires to be aligned with God's and I feel confident this is what God wants us to do.

This morning in church I was praying that God confirm for me that this is His direction, and after church I saw a friend of mine who had a dream that I was pregnant with twins!! This friend has no idea that I am doing IVF!! God is good!

MP

[Hope644]

Welcome Nikki!

I am glad to hear that you've had another drop in your betas. At my clinic, we are considered "negative" when below 5... if that's the case with you, then only 7 more points to go!!

I hope you and your dh have grown closer through this experience. It can be a very trying one, as we all know, and while it helps to have each other on here, they are the ones going through it with us. I'm glad you have a supportive hubby at home taking good care of you! I have been praying for your numbers & next cycle and will continue to, along with your teeth (or the spaces where they used to be! ) as well as that "other" problem . I can't stand taking pain meds for that very reason!!

And welcome Princess! As I am typing, I see we have a new sister joining us!

MP, Weezie & Angela - I hope you all are doing well and keeping your spirits up.

Here is my prayer for you tonight.

Father- I thank You, Lord for the many blessings you have bestowed upon us. I thank You for the friends and sisters in You that we have found here. I thank you that you have brought us to each other to encourage and support one another in You.

Lord, please be with Nikki as she struggles with the pain of surgery and help her body to heal, Lord, from her teeth to her womb. Heal her heart too, Lord, in the loss she has recently suffered. Lord, I pray for MP and Weezie, as they grow little embies. I pray that you will prepare their bodies and minds for a precious little one to implant and grow to become the beautiful baby. Lord, please bless Princess and her little embies. I pray that you have blessed her womb. Lord, be with Angela and prepare her body for the upcoming FET. Lord, please bless our little babies and help them to grow strong!

Lord, you know our hearts, you know our desires. Be with us Lord and give us comfort and peace in knowing that You are with us and that your plan for us is good. Lord help us to become the mothers that we dream of becoming, raising children for Your Glory! If that is not your plan for us, Lord, help us to know your plan and give us the peace that surpasses all understanding as we carry on. We are here to serve, honor and worship You and we thank you for your love and for your work on the cross and all the blessings in our lives. Amen.

Psalm 33:20-21
"We wait in hope for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust His Holy Name."



In His Love...

[waitingforMia]

Amen Hope!