Session: Tears & Sadness--Infertility's Constant Companion
What is God's role in your sadness? Is He angry with your tears? Does He get disgusted because you cry every time you start another period or if you get sad because someone else's wife is pregnant but yours is not? Let's look through Scripture and see what God's reactions have been when people have been drowning in tears.
John 11 records the death of Lazarus, a good friend of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters, Mary and Martha, were distraught and called for Jesus to come. After waiting four days, Jesus finally arrived on the scene, yet Lazarus had already died. The sisters were devastated and were weeping at their brother's tomb. Read the following passage of Scripture to see Jesus' reaction to their sadness.
When Jesus therefore saw her (Lazarus' sister, Mary) weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was __________________ __________________ in spirit and was __________________, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."
Jesus __________________. John 11:33-35
When Jesus saw Mary sad and crying, what did He feel?
What did Jesus do?
Based on this evidence from Scripture, what can you expect Jesus to do when He sees you sad and crying because of your infertility?
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Little Lagniappe ("A little something extra")
Faith & Waiting
Day 1--What it Really Means to Wait
Waiting is a hard part of infertility. How can you find strength to endure?
Let's look again at Isaiah 40:31:
Those who __________________ for the Lord will gain __________________ __________________; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get __________________, They will walk and not become __________________.
Look at the literal translation of the word "wait". Hold on to your hats, folks! This may surprise you a little!
"A straining of the mind in a certain direction with an expectant attitude...a forward look with assurance."
Describe this kind of waiting.
How would you describe yourself in times of waiting?
Waiting is not passive at all. It is active. If you feel weary of this fight, and need to gain new strength, this Scripture literally tells you what to do: wait. Don't wait like you may have previously thought about waiting--sitting around doing nothing. Wait like the Word of God tells you to. Strain your mind toward God with an expectant attitude, looking forward with assurance.
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Leader's Guide
Session: God's Prescription for Anxiety
Items Needed:
Empty prescription bottle--one for each participant
Preparation before session:
Thoroughly clean each prescription bottle and remove any label already on it. Create your own label that says "Prescription for Anxiety" and type Philippians 4:6-7 on a small piece of paper to place inside the bottle.
Ice Breaker:
Give one bottle to each participant as they arrive. If participants are pursuing medical treatment for infertility, suggest that they keep this "Prescription for Anxiety" with their fertility medications as a reminder of what they learned in this session.