There are few things more joyful than welcoming a new life into the world. And there are few things more emotionally devastating than infertility. When a couple is unable to conceive or carry a child to term, the grief runs deep. And for a variety of reasons, more and more couples have walked this painful journey.
In recent years, there have been a number of new medical breakthroughs to assist couples. There are hormone therapies. There is in vitro fertilization (IVF) methods which allow the egg to be fertilized by the sperm outside of the body and then implanted into the mother’s womb. And there has been a surge in babies born through surrogacy. With gestational surrogacy, the couple’s egg and sperm are brought together outside of the body and then implanted into the womb of another woman to be brought to full term.
But while modern medicine tells us what can be done, it cannot tell us what should be done. There are a number of matters that must be concerned. Certainly there are moral issues. Because some of these procedures are so expense, there is pressure to freeze multiple embryos for future attempts. Because of the rate of failure, there is also pressure to implant a number of embryos and then selectively eliminate embryos later in the pregnancy. But because the Bible teaches that life begins at conception, these options are morally problematic for the follower of Jesus. And beyond the moral issues, there are stewardship considerations. For some, money is not an issue. But for most couples, it would be unwise to incur a crushing load of debt in an attempt to have their own biological children.
If you are walking this difficult path, I would urge you to consider adoption. You obviously don’t need to be childless to adopt, but it is a great way to grow a family. There are so many children who need a loving home. As a church we have had a front row seat to see so many lives transformed by adoption! But I counsel this, not only for the sake of the children, but for your sake. I have watched many couples become bitter and inwardly focused as they fixate on infertility. Adoption is a great way to keep moving forward and to remain open to what God has for you.
Pastor Jeff
Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/hand-baby-newborn-small-finger-1652159/
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