Are you infertile and you do not know where to turn? You either can't conceive or you miscarry or your babies implant in the wrong place and slip into eternity.
All these situations leave you with a broken heart, an empty womb, and empty arms.
You may be wondering what is next? Is God calling us to remain childless? Is He directing us to adopt? Is it possible He is leading us to use infertility treatments? Let me say, any of these options are miracles for those of us experiencing infertility.
Finding the child God is calling us to adopt is a miracle and amazing.
The miracle that God is changing our hearts, and giving us contentment for our current situation - be that situation childless or any number of children that is not enough for us.
Even giving birth to a baby who was not conceived the natural way, is God's miracle.
Then there is the miracle beyond all explanation, the baby conceived naturally after years and years of infertility.
God's hand is in each of these situations and they are all miracles.
Yes, babies conceived with fertility treatments are miracles.
God is still in control, even when we use science to help us conceive, He is still knitting those children together (Psalm 139).
Part of the knitting may be in a petri dish, but ultimately He is knitting those precious babes together.
Please do not get me wrong.
I do not think infertility treatments are the only solution or direction for infertile couples.
Much like God convicts different people in a variety of ways regarding how much alcohol they should or should not consume, so he directs infertile couples in different ways.
Some say do not touch alcohol at all.
Others say the Bible only says do not get drunk, so as long as I am not drunk I am OK.
So it is with infertility treatments.
The overarching Biblical truth that applies to infertility is that God LOVES the unborn child.
Psalm 139 mentions how God is crafting and knitting babies together in their mothers' wombs.
Jeremiah 1:5 tells of God's plan for Jeremiah before he was in the womb.
God values life.
So before we embark on infertility treatments we must pray for wisdom and direction from God.
He promises in Proverbs 3:5-6 that, "He will make your paths straight.
" We must make up our minds to choose life before we are confronted with difficult situations.
I would never consider abortion (or selective reduction) an option because God values life.
So when discussing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) with my physicians, I clearly stated my convictions.
Thus my husband and I chose to transfer few embryos each time to reduce the risk of a high order multiple pregnancy.
Remember that high order multiple pregnancies are difficult on the mother as well as the babies.
Pray for wisdom when doing any type of ovary stimulation and your physician tells you that you may get pregnant with five this month if you have sex now.
Consider not only that you want children, but that you want to be alive to hold them and that you want them to be healthy.
Ponder what to do with embryos that would be created for use in IVF.
My husband and I knew that any embryo created through IVF, we would give the chance to live outside a dish.
That was a frightening prospect when we originally had 21 embryos.
In the end only 9 of the 21 survived to a place that they were able to be transferred.
We only got to hold two of those babies in our arms, but I had the honor to hold 9 in my womb and all 21 in my heart.
We trusted that God knew what we could handle.
Bottom line is that infertility treatments are not for everyone, but that does not mean they are not for anyone.
Pray for wisdom.
Ask advice from others around you.
Seek God's direction for you and your spouse.
Keep praying for a miracle, whether it is in your body (to carry a child in your womb), in your heart (to adopt or find contentment in your current situation), or in a petri dish (through infertility treatments), God is the author of them all.