One of the most stressful parts of infertility is the financial aspect. Most of us end up paying at least some part of our treatment or diagnosis out-of-pocket. I’ve been very open about how much money we’ve spent. In the past week, we’ve added another $9,000 to that total. It’s an understatement to say that infertility is expensive.
When my husband and I first got married, we starting saving most of my salary and living off of his salary. We did this so I could stay at home when we had a child. Well, this last big bill has brought us back to the amount of money we had when we first got married. Three years’ worth of my salary gone. And still no baby.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m so grateful that my salary has provided us with the funds to try. But things are really starting to get scary. I’ve realized that so much of my security is wrapped up in how much money I have in my savings account. Of course, saving and financial stewardship is a good thing. But I’m surprised at how much I’m affected now that the savings are dwindling.
I listen to a lot of podcasts and I recently stumbled on sermons from a church in San Francisco called Reality. Today a new podcast entitled “Your Wealth and God’s Will” showed up in my feed. Guys, it was the best sermon on money I have ever heard. It’s not one of those sermons that talks about how you need to give more or spend less. It challenged me to remember that money cannot buy what we’re seeking.
We’ve all seen that IVF meme on Pinterest that says “Anyone who says money can’t buy happiness hasn’t been told they can only have children via IVF.” Yes, I’m seeking a baby and right now it seems that only money will bring me that chance. But what am I seeking in having a baby? A sense of purpose? Happiness? Unconditional love? Security in knowing I’ll have someone to take care of me when I’m old? Am I using money to try to get something only a relationship with Christ can give me? These are hard questions, but we need to ask them.
If you’re burdened by finances and infertility, I highly recommend you check out the sermon. The video and audio are available for free on Reality’s website and you can also download the audio for free on iTunes.
Connect with me on {Facebook} | {Pinterest} | {Twitter}| {Instagram}