The rest of the story...

I think it's important when sharing ones story, that we share the good days, as well as the not-so-good days. My not-so-good days are few and far between, but they do come and I always need time to think, pray & process. I write about those days because I think it's important to be real. Alex reminds me that we wouldn't have I & II Samuel, had Hannah not been real and shared her not-so-good days.

I take comfort in the fact that Naomi's story didn't end with her insisting on being called Mara. As my devotional points out (from Sarah's laughter)...
Here’s the good part. God doesn’t just see the here-and-now like we do. God saw more than a grieving widow and childless mother when He looked at Naomi. He saw a woman restored. It’s found in the first two words of Ruth 2:1, “Now Naomi…” God still called Naomi ‘pleasant”! There is never any account of God referring to Naomi as Mara or “bitter”. What does this tell us? This tells us that God saw more than what Naomi was able to see. He could see that He would restore her. He could see that the devastating season of her life would eventually end, and bitterness would leave her. God looked at Naomi and in His eyes, He saw her as pleasant.

I realize that God can see more than infertility in my life. He sees more than a struggle to conceive. He sees the future He has planned for me, and it’s a good one (Jeremiah 29:11). He sees that my constant struggle with infertility will eventually end!

Thank you, for your words of encouragement and for your prayers. God uses you to turn my not-so-good days into days where I'm actually thankful for this journey...every happy, sad, exciting, bitter, lovely day on this journey.

Today...my name is Jill. :)

Love to all!