"Once they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up... In bitterness of soul, Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow, saying, "O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life..." ~ 1 Samuel:1:9-11
Last night I attended an introductory coffee for a ministry called Shiloh. It is a ministry to women and couples who are experiencing infertility and/or miscarriage. A friend of mine had told me about it months ago, but we were in the midst of adopting our first embryos, and we thought we were finally passing the hardest part of our journey {little did we know}. So I put it off and, in hind sight, really wish I hadn't. But the Lord's timing is perfect, so I am grateful for the opportunity to get involved now.
The introductory coffee was just an overview of what the ministry offers, as well as an opportunity to meet other women with similar journeys. I was a little skeptical at first, but walked away with so much hope. I can't tell you what it meant to be among those who "get it." I hadn't realized what an incredible encouragement it is to share our story without having to explain anything to these women, because they have been there. They know the acronyms, the tests, the lingo, and most importantly, the unexplainable emotions.
The actual Bible study portion doesn't start until March, but there will be a couple of other coffees/get togethers between now and then. I don't want to put SO much hope in this one thing, but I am looking forward to this. I have known for a long time that I needed something, anything to help me process the emotions of our journey. And I am hopeful this is the place.
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