Sunday, we honor our Mothers. I’m blessed to have the greatest Mother in the world, and to be married to the other greatest mother in the world. Both dedicated ladies successfully raised four children who each turned out well, if I do say so myself.
Mother’s Day is a struggle for some ladies, however, and not just for those who have lost their moms
My youngest daughter is one of them. When we moved to Fayetteville over 16 years ago, Ruth and Andy Bowen met at church, were in youth group together, and went through high school together. They started dating in tenth grade and were married in May, 2010.
They began trying to start a family two years later, but could not get pregnant. They eventually confronted the reality of infertility.
Though most insurance companies don’t officially acknowledge it, infertility is a disease that impacts one in eight couples in our nation, roughly 7.3 million people (www.parentherald.com).
People want to get pregnant and can’t, or do get pregnant and miscarry. Ruth and Andy share their story on their blog, www.theoneineight.com. Please encourage anyone you know walking through this journey to look it up.
After trying a year to get pregnant naturally, Ruth and Andy started researching their obstacles and options. Numerous tests, consults, surgical procedures for both, early treatments that failed, bunches of medicines and shots, and living on an emotional roller coaster eventually led them to in vitro fertilization.
Their first attempt in early summer, 2015, failed. They were devastated, and so were the prospective grandparents. We kept praying and encouraging, and they kept persevering and trusting God. Last fall, after another transfer, they heard the words they had been longing for: “Ruth, you’re pregnant.” They couldn’t believe it, and we were thrilled beyond words.
Fast forward to 2016. There were moments of concern along the way, but things progressed nicely with a due date of May 5. Then blood pressure issues hit, and Ruth was induced last Thursday morning, April 28. We and Liz and Ernie Bowen camped out at Piedmont Hospital, anticipating this special miracle’s arrival.
The induction started around 7 a.m. All day we hung out, prayed, received progress reports, ate lunch, then supper. We watched the Braves, switched to the Hawks, then checked the NFL draft, as Thursday slipped into Friday.
Finally, Andy texted baby is here. We were still in suspense as Ruth and Andy waited until birth to find out the gender.
Our sweet baby girl, Ivy Joan Bowen, born at 1:24 a.m., came in at five pounds, fifteen ounces, 20 inches long. Ivy is our fourth grandchild and the Bowen’s first. We got to see her around 3:45 a.m. and what a joyous moment it was. Tears flowed as we laid eyes on this wonderful, beautiful blessing.
I’m so happy for Ruth and Andy. Children are a blessing from the Lord, and, like Hannah in the Old Testament, for this child we prayed.
Ruth hasn’t been to church on Mother’s Day in three years because being there intensifies the pain of continued disappointment. Now Ruth is a mother, and this Sunday is extra special.
Ruth wrote in her blog, “I struggled a lot initially with the decision to do IVF. I was on board with doing it, because I knew that’s what we had to do. But I was afraid that maybe by moving forward with this option, it meant I wasn’t trusting God to answer my prayers. I would be relying on science instead. I questioned how God fits into this scary, foreign, technical process. After many prayers, conversations with sweet friends, and going through the treatment myself, I can say with total confidence that God is absolutely in that process.”
A dear friend who also battled infertility shared with Ruth, “Whether by medicine or miracle, (life) comes from God.”
“Getting pregnant is a miracle, and having a healthy baby is a miracle. So many things have to align. So many things have to go right,” Ruth wrote.
Ruth and Andy are among the lucky ones. Others are still in the battle. So this Mother’s Day, be thankful for Mothers who can bear and raise children, and pray for those among the one in eight, persevering through the trial of infertility.
Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor of McDonough Road Baptist Church, Fayetteville. The church is located at 352 McDonough Road, just past the department of drivers’ services building. Join them this Sunday for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m. Visit them at www.mcdonoughroad.org and like them on Facebook.
