Infertility: Silent But Very Painful Suffering

Dreams.  We have all had them.  I remember growing up in Columbus, Ohio dreaming of playing middle linebacker for the Buckeyes.  I dreamed of tackling the running backs for losses and sacking the Michigan quarterback to end the game.  I dreamed of intercepting a pass in the Rose Bowl against USC – another one of the teams I hated – and running for a touchdown.  Reality hit my freshman year of high school.  I was 5’6” and I weighed 121 pounds. My dream was over.

However, the death of this dream was not a big deal.  After all, there is only one middle linebacker for the Buckeyes each year.  They made it to the Rose Bowl only some of the years (even prior to the BCS) and middle linebackers don’t intercept many passes.  So, even if I had been bigger my chances were still very small of seeing that dream fulfilled.  But some dreams seem much more realistic and some dreams die much harder.

Imagine, if you will, a little girl.  She gets a doll for Christmas that looks like a newborn baby.  The little girl cares for the baby, tucking her into her own little crib, she comforts her baby when she “cries,” and she applies band-aids on all her “boo-boos.”  This little girl dreams of marrying a wonderful man who will care for her and treat her like a princess.  After a couple years, they will have their first child and they will live happily ever after.  Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way.Sometimes those little girls grow up and they are childless.  Their sisters have children, their friends have children, it seems like everyone on the planet has children but them.  To make matters worse, every month they are reminded that they do not have children.  Periods, as I have been told, are always inconvenient, but when you really want to have a baby it is like a dagger right through the heart.  Just to be frank, it sucks.

To make matters worse, many couples struggling with infertility suffer silently.  The reasons for the silence are as varied as the couples that struggle.

  • Some are embarrassed
  • Some are struggling with the thought that they are defined by their infertility and talking about it seems to reinforce that notion
  • Some wish to avoid the tensions – tensions that are caused when others simply do not know what to say or do
  • Some do not wish to play the role of “victim”
  • Some do not want to talk because there is nothing anyone can do anyway

I could think of many more reasons, but I think the point is clear.  Couples who struggle with infertility suffer alone.

This introduction can lead many different directions.  We are going to head down those directions.  Please stay current with the series because you need it.  You will either experience the pain of infertility (the death of a dream) or you will know someone (whether you know it or not) who is living with that pain.

Today, I want to write to those of you who are struggling with infertility.  We are only getting started, but here are three things I want to say directly to you.

#1. You are not alone.  You are not alone.  You are not alone.

Even if no one knows you are struggling, many others have gone before you and many more are suffering right along with you.  Did you know that the Bible is full of examples of infertility?  The book of Genesis contains many of them.  It is not hard to see the grief they experience because of it.  In fact, the grief of Hannah (1 Samuel 1) was so pronounced that she was taken for being a drunk.  Please remind yourself again and again that you are not alone in this struggle.  If nothing else, this should give you hope that you are not alone.

#2. It is not your fault.

There is a sense of fear that comes with infertility testing.  It is the fear of knowing that something is wrong with you.  What if my sperm count is too low?  What if I am not ovulating?  What if I have a feminine problem that makes pregnancy near impossible?  No one enjoys knowing that infertility, humanly speaking, is because there is a problem.  But let me encourage you by reminding you that God is sovereign over everything.  He is the ruler of the entire universe and he also allowed you and your spouse to marry and to struggle.  God wants to do something in your life that is wonderful and meaningful.  So, if you are thinking to yourself, “this is all my fault” then please stop and remember that the God of heaven and earth is still active and working in your life.  He wants you to be a trophy of his grace.

#3. God is able to give you children at any point

Not only is God sovereign, but he is also powerful.  Abraham was an old man and Sarah was not a young woman when Isaac was born.  Rachel was barren but God gave her two sons.  Hannah (the mother of Samuel) begged for years for God to give her a son.  God eventually gave her Samuel, three more sons and two daughters.  This does not mean that God promises every couple biological children, but it does remind you that God is more than able to do so according to his will.

There is much more than can and will be said in the coming days on this topic.  If you would like a particular angle of this issue addressed, then please comment.  Our hope is that this series would be a real blessing to you.  After all, some dreams not coming true are much bigger deals than other dreams not coming true.

Rob Green
Pastor Rob Green oversees Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries. A seasoned counselor, Rob also teaches others how to counsel--through FBCM's training conferences and Faith Bible Seminary's MABC program.