The infertility stories in the bible have one thing in common. They all end in a miraculous pregnancy. Abraham and Sarah conceived in extreme old age, despite the sins they committed in their distrust of God’s promise. Hannah cried in the temple and vowed to give her child to God, if only he would grant her request. God said yes, and Samuel was born. Elizabeth and Zachariah, the parents of John the Baptist were infertile and advanced in years, yet God answered their prayers, regardless of Zachariah’s doubt.
Some will point to these stories and say that if you pray hard enough, you will conceive a child. They claim that if you’re still not pregnant, it’s because you don’t have enough faith. There are even a number of books that espouse this notion.
I call bullshit.
You heard me.
The point of these biblical stories about miraculous cures of infertility point to one big TRUTH:
We are not the author of life. God is.
God is in charge. God has a plan. God has the ultimate power to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, in whichever way he chooses. Human beings may cooperate with God’s design, but we are not the ones in control. Period. He proves this time and time again in Scripture. Mary, a virgin, conceives. Lazarus is raised from the dead. Job’s life goes in all over the place. The widow’s oil and flour is always replenished, and as God cares for the sparrows and the fields, so too will he care for you (Matthew 6:26).
In our world, there are many beautiful, wonderful, faithful women who never conceive. Infertility is a symptom of our fallen world. It is not their fault. It’s no one’s fault.
God gives each of us different gifts, depending on his plan for our life. This is why we pray for his will, and for and increase in faith and trust on our part. Just because God can doesn’t mean he will. And even though he may say “no” or “not yet,” he always has a perfect plan.
Tales from the Valley 
So well said! I hate the implication that if you pray enough, you’ll get pregnant. That such an arrogant belief, in my opinion. I love the way you phrase it and put it into perspective.
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I absolutely agree. And for me, it’s sad when well-meaning people end up causing pain and suffering, like those who claim if you have enough faith, you will conceive.
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Your reflections are so powerful and thoughtful. As I’d written about infertility and long waits for children to be born…biblical and personal stories…I wondered about those who never have the happy ending. Your reflections so powerfully capture that experience. While they’re all great, this one is my favorite. And my favorite line…perhaps it’s yours too, since you bolded it: we are not the author of life, God is. We will not understand fully the mystery of his plan or the fullness of his wisdom, until we see the world through his eyes at the end. And then it will all be clear, and I’m confident it will be beautiful. Keep writing!
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Mike, thank you for reading! It is my line, mostly. The priest at out wedding said “we are married in church because it reminds us the we are not the author of love, God is.” That phrase stuck with me, and using it with “life” in place of “love” makes sense. He’s my uncle so I’m sure he won’t mind. 🙂 I’m definitely seeing the plan unfold as time goes on, and I’m hoping it all makes sense one day. Thank you very much for your kind words.
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