Father, only you know how much we want children. Please hear our longing for a child; a child to lavish our love on and care for in so many ways. It is our dream and we pray to you alone, the Creator and Giver of all good things.
We expected 9 years ago that when we were ready for babies, we would have them. How could it be that month after month we would feel so sharply the pain and disappointment of that "failure.", its the pain of a broken heart twelve times a year.
We're happy for our friends and family who call us with the joyous news of their expectations. We want to be there to celebrate with them but our battered emotions are numb to the joy of another baby shower, another baby gift. The feelings of envy are most powerful during these times.
Heal us, from the hurt of infertility, a failed adoption and from the sense that if we adopt, we are somehow "abandoning" our child -- the child we have not had but long for so deeply.
Give us the patience to support each other in our sorrow and may this pain bring us together in the grace of our marriage. Bless us with ability to see more clearly where you are calling us to serve in this time in our life, when our sorrow sometimes outweighs our generosity and our self-focus lets us forget others. Evidently surround us, heal us and let us feel your love blessing our marriage.
