Barren Among the Fruitful

For nine years I had what doctors called "unexplained infertility". They had no idea what was wrong, but clearly something was. I felt like a dud, a lemon. And we couldn't even fix whatever was wrong because we had no idea what it was. It was this awful combination of hope since I wasn't told "you can never have kids" and discouragement because how do you fix something when you don't know what's wrong? 

Every two weeks my hope would grow, "maybe this month we'll get pregnant" only to be let down time and time again. Infertility sucks. And that's just the physical battle. There's also the mental, spiritual and emotional battle of questioning Why is God letting this happen? and What now? and a thousand other questions and thoughts. But then there is perhaps the most difficult. The well-meaning but hurtful "advice" from others, "Stop trying so hard", "Once you stop thinking it will just happen" "Adopt and then you'll get pregnant." None of which are Scriptural, but unhelpful Christian culture sound bites. So it's encouraging to see this table of contents. 

I'm excited to read this book. It may be just the resource needed for friends going through infertility.

Here's a little about it

"The problem of infertility has reached epidemic levels in our society. It is projected that 40% of women currently 25 and younger will have difficulty conceiving a child or reaching a live birth.

Amanda Hope Haley had married David, the man of her dreams, and earned a master’s degree from Harvard. She and David purchased their first home and settled down to start a family. All her hopes and dreams were coming true according to plan—until the family didn’t happen.

After spending seven years begging God for a child, Amanda discovered that God gives only one hope: Jesus. Amanda having a baby wasn’t to be her happy ending. Finding wholeness by hoping only in God was her happy ending.

Using Amanda’s personal stories, and the stories of other women who have struggled to have children, Barren Among the Fruitful surrounds those women struggling with infertility or miscarriage with a sense of community while providing honest facts. It leads women from confusion to understanding. Each chapter is titled with a well-meaning, but sometimes thoughtless comments Amanda was offered during her seven-year struggle with infertility."

Read more here and you can buy it at these places.

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About Laura

Laura, the creator and host of Missional Women is married and has four kids, two of whom are adopted. Laura and her husband have been missionaries to college students for 11 years serving with Master Plan Ministries. Laura is the Women's Development Coordinator and has discipled over 150 girls, led over 30 Bible studies and speaks to college and women's groups. Laura has authored 5 books, including an award winning 12 week Bible Study on First Samuel, Beholding Him, Becoming Missional, Reach; How to Use Your Social Media Influence for the Glory of God, and A Devotional Journey through Judges, a devotional to accompany the free online Bible study at TheBookofJudges.com. You can find her on facebook,twitter, pinterest, youtube, instagram and her author site.

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