I once heard a movie star mom share her exhilaration about adopting her infant son. When she saw him, she announced, 'Oh, there you are!' as if she'd been reconciled with a part of her own being. The hole of infertility is like that: tearing a part of our very being from ourselves. So often we are left alone with our pain. Until now. Here, in the pages of Mothers in Waiting, you'll find a part of yourself reconnecting in the stories of others who've experienced this grief. Just like you...and just like me. And as you do, you'll likely hear an echo reverberating as you rediscover that lost part of your being, 'Oh, there you are!'
-Elisa Morgan, Speaker; author of The Prayer Coin and The Beauty of Broken; president emerita, MOPS International; cohost, Discover the Word
'Who am I if I'm not a mother?' was the heart cry of Karen Granger, one of 30 women who bravely share their stories of hope in these beautiful pages, a question deeply reflecting their common sorrow. There was a season when my heart was so broken by our infertility struggles that I would not have been receptive to these diverse stories. Having admitted my struggle, I want to encourage you that if you are currently in a place of wanting to see a few of the many ways God can bring good from the grief and anguish of your barrenness while gathering a few hard-earned tips on how these women learned to find strength in Jesus through the midst of their pain, this is the book for you! When given to God, infertility always, eventually, leads to joyful resolution, often through some method of motherhood-birth, foster care, various forms of adoption, step-or sometimes by learning how to embrace God's unique, personal plan for your life as His daughter without children in your home. As Amanda Hope Haley points out in chapter 9, God's personal path for you dramatically differs from His unchangeable will for all mankind-to know Him. Infertility is sometimes the plan God allows us to journey to achieve His will in drawing our hearts to Himself. That path can be agonizing and seem unending while being endured. As these stories, each written from the 'after' perspective of resolution, point out, the good plan God has for you is written in great love and will ultimately lead to your good and His glory.
-Jennifer Saake, Author of Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss; founder/director emeritus, Hannah's Prayer Ministries
