the Stone and the Oak

Welcome to the first installment of Sips & Scripts!

Once a month, I will take a friend to a coffee shop (thus, Sips) to talk about a part of the Bible that has intersected his/her life in an important way (hence Scripts).

I couldn’t be more thrilled about the inaugural installment of Sips and Scripts because the conversation we had was so goose-pimply good!

So without further ado, let me introduce the coffee shop conversation for January.

This is Kim.

Her drink is a hot cocoa.

We sat down over our cups to discuss a verse that guides her life, James 1:2-3:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance

NIV

Here’s what she has to say about what this verse has done for her:

“I keep this verse close and I return to it over and over again.

I’ve been through many trials, but the one that fully represents this verse is my nine-year battle with infertility.

My husband and I started trying for a baby as soon as we were married. I had it in my mind that I was ready to be a mom and start our family. Three miscarriages, two years of hormone therapy, and 8 failed IUI attempts later, I was angry with God. I was praying and praying and nothing was happening. The stress of the infertility was taking its toll on our marriage, and my husband arrived at a place of wanting to give up on having kids entirely. Confused, hurt, and still without answers, I took a trip by myself to see a friend in San Diego.

I remember sitting on the bathroom floor, utterly at rock bottom, praying a different kind of prayer: God, I am ready to accept the plan you have for me. I surrender control of having kids to you. Please help me repair my marriage.

That same weekend, my husband describes surrendering his unwillingness to persevere. In a different city than me, he came to the realization that I had been putting my body and spirit through nine very difficult years and that sacrifice surely meant a deep desire for kids.

When we reconciled, through tears, we both relayed our resolutions and our marriage started to bloom once again. One month later, completely off all fertility medications, we conceived our daughter. We went on to have a son after that. We now have two beautiful, healthy children and our family is complete. A completion as strong as the ache in my heart prior to kids was deep. God knew they were coming all along— in His time, in His way. And so I keep this verse close to me.

We now have two beautiful, healthy children… God knew they were coming all along— in His time, in His way.

I know now that God put me through this trial to teach me to trust Him and that His plan is THE plan and it is always for good. He used those nine years to mature me, to get our family financially stable, to create a home for us (in the physical sense as well as the emotional sense), and most importantly to teach me to surrender my plans to His.

This trial allows me to encourage other women struggling with infertility or God’s timing in their lives. I now face situations with this verse in mind— I know I can do whatever hard thing because he is not going to let me fail. This verse teaches me to trust even when I can’t understand His bigger picture. This verse teaches me that I won’t see the plan overnight, but I will in time. And it reminds me that every difficult thing happens for a reason.”

Nine years. Kim waited nine years for her trial to end. And her inspiring faith and beautiful children are the byproducts of her particular trial. And as someone who knows her kids well, I can attest that they are pure joy.

with His love,

Adelaide