Many of you may remember the interview I did a few weeks ago with Lois Flowers. In addition to being the mother to two girls, Lois is also an accomplished author. She’s written two books, and one is about infertility. She generously gave me two copies of Infertility: Finding God’s Peace in the Journey to give away today.
Throughout the book, Lois shares her story of infertility, faith, and the path that led her to adoption. She talks about the strategies that helped her navigate insensitive comments, interacting with pregnant friends and acquaintances, and prayer when you’re too tired to pray.
“I derived great comfort in knowing that, when words failed me and when I was too weary to pray, the Holy Spirit was interceding on my behalf, lovingly reminding the Father of what my heart didn’t know how to express.” [p. 71].
“A thick skin doesn’t develop without some degree of battering, and a soft heart isn’t created without any tears. But when both exist in the same person, they allow for a degree of strength and compassion that is hard to find in someone who has never experienced any kind of suffering. Remember that the next time someone tells you to ‘just relax.'” [p. 119].
She writes honestly about figuring out where to draw the line in terms of which fertility treatments she was willing to do , but does not imply her limits should be everyone’s limits.
“You may come to a different conclusion about IVF and other ARTs, and that’s fine. What I’ve written is my own personal conviction, not a hard-and-fast rule for everyone. My opinion about IVF really isn’t your primary concern, anyway. At this point, your focus should be on trying to determine what, if anything, God wants you to do regarding the medical treatment of your infertility.” [p. 146].
Finally, Lois shares how she went through the process of letting go of her dream of having a biological child and how she moved toward adoption. AND she gives hope, affirmation, and encouragement to women whose stories may not include adoption, but that of childless or child-free living.
“God can use you just as much- if not more so- as a childless couple or individual than He could if you had children…” [p. 184].
“Holding on leads to bitterness and misery. But letting go opens the door to peace and acceptance.” [p. 185].
What I enjoyed most about the book is that Lois doesn’t present it as a manual or “how-to.” She merely shares her story and the wisdom that she gained in hope that it may help other people in similar circumstances. I encourage you to enter the giveaway so you have a chance to read it, too.
If you don’t win the giveaway, but want still want to read the book, you can purchase it on Lois’ website. (The book was published in 2003 and is no longer available through major book distributors).
To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below. (Click here if you’re on a mobile device or can’t see the widget). This giveaway ends on 12:00am PST on May 26th and is only open to residents of the United States.
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