Tuesday, May 12, 2015

LifeChurch.tv Sisters Blog

During National Infertility Awareness Week, I decided I wanted to find a way to spread awareness about infertility in a big way, so I wrote a letter to Amy Groeschel.  This was 100% out of my comfort zone.  Amy is the wife of our senior pastor, Craig, AKA The First Lady of LifeChurch.  J  She’s awesome.  I have heard her speak, and she just has the biggest heart for God.  Anyway, I found a way to have this letter delivered to Amy, and she read it!  Even better, she loved it.  She emailed me last week and asked if she could post it on the LifeChurch.tv Sisters Blog on Mother’s Day.  I actually cried.  I know, I’m a nerd.  I was so excited, though.

The next morning, our campus pastor and his wife stopped me separately to tell me that Amy had contacted them about my letter, too.  They were really moved by it.  I told Nicole, the wife, that I was so excited that Amy listened.  She told me that Amy listens to the Holy Spirit.  That’s why she knew to move on this.  What powerful and encouraging words!

Here is what Amy said in the blog she posted:
Lovely sisters, the saying, “God’s timing is perfect” is absolutely true, yet for many, His timing seems anything but perfect. My dear sister-in-Christ, Laura Provence, is a part of an incredible LifeGroup for women who battle infertility. Today (just this morning, actually), I received a touching letter from Laura regarding this sensitive subject. And I’m extremely grateful for her allowing me to share it with you.
~ Love, Amy

And here is the blog entry in its entirety:  http://lcsisters.tv/2015/05/10/220/

I am so moved that she wanted to post my letter.  I hope to be able to find more avenues to raise awareness about infertility.  It’s such an important topic for me.

Thank you, Amy, for helping me to spread the word.  You’re such an inspiration to so many of us.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Mother’s Day

I have a dear friend on staff at our church that is infertile.  Our campus pastor knows that, and he’s also very familiar with our story.  Well, this week, she asked if I would write something that would help him with his “speech” for this weekend.  You see, our campus pastor gives a little blurb after praise & worship and before our head pastor preaches the sermon.  He wanted to have something to say that wouldn’t make infertile women squirm in their seats on Mother’s Day.  He wanted to have something to say that wouldn’t make infertile women want to get up and leave church.  He wanted to be understanding.  He wanted to be all-inclusive.  He’s a good man.  Many women would appreciate a pastor with his heart.

I don’t know if he will use what I wrote.  However, I wanted to share it here because I think it’s similar to what all infertiles wish their pastor would say.

As all of you know, this weekend is Mother’s Day.  It’s a time to honor our mothers, grandmothers, mothers of our children, and all others who have brought life into this world.  However, there are other women out there that also deserve to be acknowledged.  Being a mother does not just mean that you have cared for a child in your home.  Being a mother means that at some point, you have held a child in your heart. 

Some women are still single and longing for the day they get to be a mom.

Some women have lost a child, whether that child be young or old. 

Some women have desired to adopt a child that hasn’t come to them yet or even suffered failed adoptions.

Some women have been in the trenches of infertility, trying to conceive a child they so desperately want.

Some women have suffered losing their only child or children to a miscarriage.

Some women have chosen to give their children a better life through adopting them to another family.

Today, we do not forget you.  As we celebrate, we also mourn with you.

So today, let’s recognize birth moms, foster moms, adoptive moms, stepmoms, aunts, teachers, and the friend that loves on your child as if they were their own because without all of these women, our children wouldn’t be who they are today.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you.  Thank you for holding children in your heart.

Festivus for the rest of us!  (I’m only kidding.  The submission ends at the line above.)
 
And to Pastor Tim, if you somehow read this, I want you to know that I appreciate that you're even considering showing love to those of us still struggling.