The
Bible called those who were unable to conceive
"barren". Today the terms "infertility" or
"sterility" are used. While the terms may have
changed, the pain and frustration felt through this
painful journey has not.
Exodus 23:25-26 Worship
the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your
food and water. I will take away sickness from
among you, and none
will
miscarry or
be barren in your land. I
will give you a full life span.
To Shaun (my husband) and I, this Scripture is not
simply words on a page but living truth. Faith in
that promise has meant that our children Kaitlin,
Aidan, Aaron and Jesse could be born into the
world. It is the power of God’s Word of truth that
brought about what man declared an impossibility.
In January 1994, after several medical tests and
examinations Shaun was diagnosed as being sterile.
The tests concluded that he had a nonexistent sperm
count and he was told that it was medically
impossible for him to father a child. The only
option offered to us was to have a child using
sperm donation. But Shaun made a decision to reject
the diagnosis because he
knew it was
God’s will for us to have our own biological
children.
When Shaun came home and shared the diagnosis with
me, at first I was devastated. All my hopes and
dreams of becoming a mother were shattered. All I
could hear in my mind were the words of the doctor
that it was ‘medically
impossible for us to have a child of our
own.’
Shaun's body needed physical healing and my mindset
and faith in God needed healing. I had often prayed
in the past for healing from colds and sore throats
and I would be healed. That seemed easy for me. But
at first I couldn’t fathom the miracle that Shaun
needed. In order for me to believe for our child I
had to renew my mind with the Word of God.
Back then I had no idea that God had provided
answers for me in this area in His Word until I
came across the scripture in
Exodus 23, which
said that I would not miscarry or be barren. If I
had not discovered this promise, I may have never
known God’s will for my life. This scripture went
straight to my heart and impacted me in a powerful
way. I knew beyond doubt that it was the nature,
character and will of God for me to have my own
biological children! Through this scripture God
showed me that our situation was not impossible. It
revealed that an impossible situation for us was
simply an opportunity for Him! I soon learnt to put
my trust in what God said about me in His Word and
not the words of the prognosis.
God’s Word had been planted like a seed of faith in
both Shaun’s and my heart. From that time on it was
up to us to water, feed and nurture the seed so it
could grow. By faith we believed together that
Jesus would bring life to what our circumstances
said were dead.
When our doctor recommended more tests to find the
cause of Shaun’s sterility, we decided to trust our
judgment (we had prayed for wisdom) and chose not
to follow through with the tests, but to trust
solely in God’s Word. We continued to claim healing
for Shaun’s body and thanked God for our child.
During this time of growing in faith, our
circumstances didn’t seem to change. However we
supported each other in prayer, standing in
agreement on God’s Word and speaking words of
faith, not words of defeat. We chose to believe
that what God said He would do He would actually
do. And within six months, I became pregnant with
our first child! When Shaun told our doctor the
news, he wouldn’t believe it. He called Shaun into
his office and after showing him again the results
of the tests he said, ‘this
is not your baby. It is impossible for you to
father a child!’ Well, he
was wrong! Nothing is impossible with God!
My testimony didn’t end there. I also faced adverse
circumstances such as threatened miscarriages, an
ectopic pregnancy and the threat of Downs’ syndrome
but by placing my trust in God and His Word, I had
four healthy children within four and a half years!
I also took the Word (like medicine) into my
pregnancies, births and postnatal period and was
able to rise above these and other complications
and experience healthy pregnancies, childbirth
without trauma, complications or excruciating pain
and enjoy the blessing of bringing forth a new life
as well as the whole childbearing experience.
Hosea
4:6 says,
‘my
people perish because of lack of
knowledge.’ The main
way we gain Godly knowledge for our life and also
knowledge of God’s will for our life is through His
Word. God is the creator of everything; He is also
not a respecter of persons which means He doesn't
show favouritism(Romans
2:11). So
anyone who believes can receive from God’s Word. It
is my heart’s desire that you will discover,
through reading this book that absolutely
nothing is
impossible for those who believe. Jesus said when
you know the truth it will set you free
(John 8:32).
Through the work He did on the cross, you can
overcome any problem of barrenness, fertility
challenge or any other complication throughout your
pregnancy and birth and, like me, learn to walk in
a spirit of victory.
Shaun and I use Scripture every time we pray now,
because we have learned how powerful it is. My
prayer is that as you develop your trust in God
your relationship and understanding of Him will
deepen. I also pray that you will receive
revelation and knowledge from His Word regarding
His plan for your children. However, do not simply
read the Scriptures in this book but
apply them to
your life. Study, meditate and speak them over your
circumstances to renew your mind because when you
meditate on the promises of God, He will reveal his
‘good,
pleasing and perfect will’ in
your life (Romans
12:2).
A note to your husband, from my
husband
‘You’ll
never have any children of your own.’
Upon
hearing these words from my doctor, I could have
reacted in any number of ways. I could have cried
out in anguish and despair, or in anger and
accusation. I could have blamed my wife, God, my
parents, the government, global warming or
genetically modified food. Any of these reactions
would have been normal and to be expected when
someone hears such devastating news. Instead, I
received the news with an unexpected calm, and in
my mind I rejected the diagnosis. As I left the
doctor’s office, God gave me a vision. I saw myself
holding the hand of a small child. As I wondered
what this meant, I heard a voice say,
‘this
is your child.’ That
was it. We would have a child of our own, and
nothing any specialist said to me could ever change
that fact. No argument could ever change that fact.
I remember telling my wife that God had said
‘be
fruitful' and that
was enough for me.
The situation will be different for each couple,
but in our case, I was the one diagnosed with the
problem. Those men like me who have experienced
fertility problems can sometimes feel that like
we’re ‘less
than a man’. That’s
like saying that a car missing its rear vision
mirror is no longer a car. If you are experiencing
fertility problems, then I encourage you to read as
much of this web site and my wife’s book ‘A Plan
For Pregnancy’ as possible. While they are
primarily for women, with many subjects that can
make even the toughest of us queasy, they contain
biblical truths and encouraging testimonies of
other couples who have overcome infertility. Maybe
your wife is the one experiencing a fertility
problem. She may also experience feelings of
incompleteness or inadequacy. As the spiritual head
of the household, you are called to uphold her,
strengthen her, pray for her and encourage her in
her faith in Jesus.
I therefore encourage you to stand in agreement
with your wife for your personal situation for
there is power in the prayer of agreement.
Additionally, you will find that you will grow
stronger together as a couple and also in your
relationship with the Lord.
Shaun Walker