Embracing Parenthood- A Journey of Purpose:

This CC Wife has chosen to remain anonymous. Let us know your thoughts on this post in the comments.

"If you include your babies, they might slow you down, but maybe that's the point.”

-Andi Eigenmann

In the fast-paced rhythm of modern life, it's easy to view parenthood as a detour from our ambitions or a speed bump on the road to personal achievements. Yet, perhaps there's a deeper truth to be found in the slowdown that children bring into our lives—a truth rooted in purpose and divine intention.

Scripture Reflection:

"Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."

- Psalm 127:3-5a (NIV)

In these verses, we are reminded that children are not merely a biological phenomenon or a hindrance to our plans. They are a gift—an inheritance bestowed by God Himself. Like arrows fashioned by a skilled archer, children are entrusted to us to be nurtured, guided, and sent forth into the world with purpose.

"But Jesus called the children to him and said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.'"

- Luke 18:16 (NIV)

Jesus, in His teachings, emphasized the importance of children and their innate significance in the Kingdom of God. He saw them not as distractions but as bearers of profound spiritual truths and examples of faith and humility.

Finding Purpose in the Pace:

Parenthood challenges us to recalibrate our priorities and embrace a slower, more intentional pace of life. While it may seem that children slow us down in our pursuits, perhaps they are meant to redirect our focus to what truly matters—the nurturing of relationships, the cultivation of character, and the passing on of faith and values.

Scripture Reflection:

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

- Proverbs 22:6 (ESV)

This verse underscores the importance of intentional parenting—of guiding our children along paths of righteousness and wisdom. It speaks to the enduring impact of our efforts, knowing that investing in our children's spiritual and moral upbringing yields eternal rewards.

Conclusion:

As we journey through parenthood, let us embrace the truth that children are not a hindrance to our progress but partners in our purpose. They challenge us to grow in patience, selflessness, and love—the very qualities that reflect God's heart for His children. May we find joy in the slowdown, knowing that in nurturing the next generation, we participate in God's divine plan for our families and communities.

Reflection: 

• In what ways can I integrate biblical teachings on parenthood (e.g., Psalm 127, Proverbs 22:6) into my daily interactions with my children?

• How do I currently view parenthood—as a hindrance to personal goals or as a meaningful part of my life journey?

• What are some specific ways in which my children have influenced my priorities and values?

• How does being part of a community of other parents (like CCW) support and enhance my journey as a parent?

• How can I cultivate gratitude for the gift of children in my life, even in challenging moments?

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward."

- Psalm 127:3 (NASB)

Closing Prayer:

"Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of children and the purpose they bring into our lives. Help us to embrace parenthood with patience, wisdom, and love, reflecting Your heart for family and community. Guide us in raising our children according to Your will, nurturing them in faith and character. May Your presence be felt in our homes as we journey through the joys and challenges of parenting. In Jesus' name, Amen."

For Those Struggling With Infertility:

NATALIE SHEDD

NOTE FROM CCW TEAM: For those struggling with infertility and why God does things the way He does, Natalie’s story is a wonderful read. You can truly see how the Lord had a plan for her. It is such a blessing to read and may be an encouragement to those who feel like God is not near, questioning Him, and even for those ladies who may be angry and bitter with God. He always has a plan and we need to remember to trust that. Natalie’s story is such a good read. Here is her journey…

Natalie Shedd

“Her journey with infertility, adoption, and how the Lord answered her prayers.”

To understand where God has walked me through, we need to start at the beginning. I must say, buckle up because it is a wild ride. 

  All of my life I knew I wanted to be a mom. I never had career goals or a dream job.. my dream job was to be a stay at home mom. Luckily, my now husband knew that. We have been together since 2013, and he knew that my dream was that. He worked very hard to make sure my dream would become a reality financially and made career choices to support that. We got married in 2017 at the ages of 20 and 21, we start trying RIGHT away. Well, cycle after cycle and negative after negative we sought out doctors finally. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with PCOS and the doctor I had was not a kind man whatsoever. He told me to lose weight and have me pills and that was that. I was determined, I lost over 30 lbs- I took the pills- I did EVERYTHING... and nothing. I was lost, confused, and consumed. I couldn’t understand how a loving God would do this to ME. 

  I look back now and see a young, naive, little girl throwing a fit. I was consumed with my fertility, I did absolute everything. I tried EVERYTHING. In retrospect, I see my infertility and desire to have a child was turned into an Idol. I was not seeking God because I wholeheartedly loved Him and honored Him.. I wanted the blessing of a child. But I also see how each of these moments led me to Him. In 2019 we decided to take a break, and we ultimately moved away from home. That move was the best thing for me, and even our marriage. God placed wonderful people in our lives who spoke life into us, and I thank God everyday we made that move. I can see now that He knew what he was doing. 

  My husband always mentioned adoption, but when you’re going through infertility as a woman, it is REALLY hard to accept that as an option because you feel like your body is broken and it SHOULD be able to do what it was made to do. Adoption, to me, should never be a second choice or a last resort just because I want a baby. I knew it was a decision that I needed confirmation from God. I needed to be wholeheartedly at peace and knowing that the Lord is leading us down that road. 

One Sunday afternoon in 2021 while laying down to take a nap, I heard that still small voice… adopt. Okay God, I heard you. Let’s do this. We jumped head in, got our homestudy done and sought out potential birth mothers. We met with one, who turned around and ghosted us. Until one day in November we messaged with a mother who was interested. Woohoo, we felt that God was all over this!! In December, she told us it was a boy! We were elated. But we kept it quiet still. Waiting for her to officially ask us to adopt….

   In February of 2022, she reached out asking to meet in person. We lived 13 hours away but we were just so excited we didn’t even care, we would make the drive. We drove that long, long way.. sat a the Starbucks for over an hour.. and.. no show and no contact. We were angry, mad..and ultimately confused. I remember driving home, tears in our eyes and asking God, “is this your sign that we aren’t meant to have a family?” It had been heartbreak over heartbreak, we had also been burned by a birth mom previously. I also remember breaking out in hives because my anxiety was so high as well. 

  She eventually did contact me that night, but I was so upset I just told her she needed to truly think about her decision before she contacted me again. I didn’t want to play back and forth, I wanted her to have the space to make the decision that she felt was best for her baby. 

   I realized quickly that none of this is in my control. I had grown my relationship with God those past 4 years of infertility and really thought that I knew Gods plan-We just weren’t meant to have a family. Well, on a Tuesday in April I prayed, “God, I don’t know what you’re doing.. but I trust You.” Not ten seconds later I received a text from the birth mom asking to FaceTime me that day. I said yes. She asked us to adopt officially on that call, and she was due to be induced that Sunday. We jumped into action mode, bought the car seats and everything we would need and headed back down 13 hours that Saturday. She ended up going into labor a bit before midnight that Saturday so by Sunday morning I met the most precious little boy and had him in my arms. 

  We were able to spend time with his birth mom quite a bit, hear her story, and just offer kindness and gratitude to her. She was there alone, we were the only ones there. After a few days, we took that little boy back to our hotel and waited for paperwork to be signed. In the state of Texas, birth moms have to wait 72 hours to sign paperwork. So we waited, we spent time caring and loving that sweet baby, went and explored the city we were in with him, and waited some more..texting every day asking if she had signed the paperwork so we can head home and make that 13 hour drive with a newborn. It had been 9 days when she texted wanting her baby back. And I had no other choice but to take him back to his mom. My 4 year answered prayer, was stripped away.. painfully. 

“My 4 year answered prayer, was stripped away.. painfully.”

  Never in that experience was I ever mad at her. If I felt THAT much pain losing him, I cannot imagine how she was feeling. I spent May-July healing. I had lost my Grandpa in June, I was then diagnosed as clinically depressed and it just felt like the hits kept coming. I couldn’t catch my breath. I was so incredibly angry at the world, at God but I never left His presence. I maintained in constant prayer and conversation with him it felt like. Through that whole experience, we felt like God HAD called us to be parents. We knew adoption was off the table, our hearts were still SO broken, so we decided to try a new fertility doctor one. more. time. 

  Our new doctor had a plan and we were ready to go! She laid it all out there, she never ONCE said anything about me never being able to get pregnant like the multiple previous doctors did and she was confident. Great. Let’s do this. My first round quickly went downhill, and after multiple injections I was SEVERELY overstimulated on the medications. We had to cancel our cycle and take a break for my body and ovaries to go back to normal. I was devastated and confused. Once again. It seemed like a theme for me that year. 

  One afternoon I was struck with an immense amount of pain. I couldn’t walk or even talk through it and we knew an ER Visit was warranted. While there, they did a CT scan and found 7 plus ovarian cysts on each over but also..a tumor on my pancreas. What. The. Heck. Is actually going on with my life right now??? I was again.. confused and devastated.  

  After multiple visits and a biopsy, it was pre-cancerous and had to come out. I received a call from a doctor 3 hours away, which I thought was weird that far, but I just went with it. I had an an appointment that next week. Come to find out, this doctor sought ME out. He heard of my tumor from another doctor while in surgery, and because of the rarity, he sought ME. He also ended up being the BEST doctor for this job in a 500 mile radius. Ok God, I see you. 

 Surgery went well and was removed in the best case scenario leaving behind the least amount of damage to my organs. I see you again, God. After being discharged, I ended up with some intense pain that I truly thought was the end. Back to the emergency room. My blood vessels at the surgery site were about to rupture that would cause me to bleed out but it was like my body warned me with that pain to cause me to go in and get a CT.. again.. I see you, God. After that, recovery went well and in April we were finally cleared to start trying again. Our cycle started on the 1st birthday of the little boy we got to love on for 9 days. 

  This cycle started out looking like it wasn’t going to work. I was again, confused and devastated. I remember going on a walk and telling God, “I just need to know it’s going to be ok. You don’t even have to tell me personally, even if you tell my husband.” That same Sunday we went to church and our pastor randomly gets off topic and goes back to Joshua (also my husbands name) and just starts saying “be strong Joshua. Be courageous Joshua. The Lord will do what he’s promised, Joshua.” In the moment, I didn’t catch it. But on the way home from church my husband said, “when he started going off on a tangent and saying my name.. it felt like he was really talking to me.” I broke down in tears. I knew God was not only letting my husband know.. He was letting me know too. 

 Our next appointment things radically changed and my body responded perfectly. We were in the clear for our IUI. 2 weeks later.. the beautiful second line. I had never seen one before. We cried and praised God. My pregnancy was beautiful, uncomplicated and gentle. My labor however was not. I labored for 36 hours straight, but not a gradual labor.. I was having contractions 1 minute apart immediately. I finally had to get an epidural to rest. After that rest, I was ready to push. I pushed for 2.5 hours and finally my beautiful boy was here. But I didn’t get the moment I was hoping for. He was not breathing, there was no cry..I waited, and waited.. and finally God breathed life into him and his little body. He spent 4 days in the NICU and then we finally got to take our boy home. My heart still aches that I didn’t get the birth that I was hoping for, but I know God can redeem that as well. 

    My testimony is to bring Him the glory. To tell those who are hurting and in the waiting that He will do it. He still does miracles. I just keep thinking that every choice I have made, or any circumstance that has happened to us, led us here. We would have never found this tumor until it was too late and so big that they would be removing a lot more of my insides causing life long damages. Gods sovereignty is hard to see sometimes once you’re in the middle of it, but once you can look back and see all the choices you’ve made, the bad and good things that have happened to you.. you can’t deny that God has our days written down. He knows everything that must happen to save us. Even if it hurts in the moment, we know that He is Good and that He does have a plan for us. If I kept my eyes on the natural world, I would say that everything that has happened to me in the past 6 years is random. But turning my eyes to the supernatural, I see that everything is intentional and truly for MY good. This wasn’t random. Every step of how we got here.. saved my life. Even when it hurt. Nothing is ever wasted. 

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

— Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬