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lcm. 1n another 1
O
percent of cases
no reason can be" found.
Sorne physicians state that as
many as one fourth of infertile cou–
ples conceive within two months of
consulting a physician. This is with
no treatment whatsoever. So there
is a significant emotional factor in
infertility.
Much of the increase in inferti li–
ty is caused by the surge of venere–
al disease. The pill is also blamed,
as is the IUD, which on occasion
causes pelvic infection.
Sorne researchers believe men
are producing diminishing quanti–
ties of sperm and that environmen–
tal chemicals may be to blame.
Tensíon Rídes Hígh
Much emotional tension exists in
the home of the childless couple.
By sorne, art ificial insemination is
tried. Others opt for adoption.
Divorce or separation scems thc
way out for others after years of
trying for a baby. What a tragedy!
Many say they can't talk about
their situation. Sorne women con–
sider themselves a disappointment
to thei r husbands and feel uncre–
ative. Some don' t have the support
of their mate. Others find sched–
uled performances. of sexual inter–
course so .derrianding that impo–
tcnce enters the scene.
But for others, their relationship
is strengthened-t-thi s tri al has
brought them even closer together;
it solidifies their marriage. To–
gether they share a problem not
experienced by the majority.
And closer they shou ld grow!
God gave sexual expression in mar–
riage as a wonderful means of
showing deep love and affection to
each other, as well as for pro–
creation.
On thcir wedding day it was just
the two of them-and after thc chil–
dren of fertile couples leave home, it
is still the two of them! Thus in a real
sense, all women grow into infertili–
ty. Sorne have not thought of that.
Certainly the lack of children t·hat
wcre not there in the first place
shouldn't pull them apart!
Many well-known women of thc
Bible were barren for sorne time.
Look at Sarah, Rebekah, Rache!,
Hannah and Elisabeth. Each had
been barren for a reason. And while
they were childless they didn't
30
know why. They longingly waited
until God determincd the time that
their barrenness should end. Dur–
ing that time sorne tried their own
"solutions" to the problem as sorne
do today.
For those who do not conceive or
carry a baby to term- those who
are left as childless couples-this
article is directed.
After all the stress, the time, the
expense and the emotional seesaw–
ing, the couple are left where all
couples normally start-childless.
Like a death of a family member,
mourning takes place. But child–
lessness brings a strange kind of
mourning, for there is no body over
which to mourn . Yet it is real. Both
husband and wife, who often grow
c loser together because of this
problem, experience it. It must be
worked on and accepted, for only
then a really productive life may
resume. Other avenues of expres–
sion must be embarked upon.
l t has always been this way–
childless couples throughout his–
tory have made up about 1
O
per–
cent of the population.
r
n this pilgrimagc upon earth,
none of us walk exact ly the same
path of experience to reach his or
her goal at lifc's cnd. All go
through trials, and they come in
such a wide variety of forms. Taken
together, all trials are experienced
by humanity, collectively, at life's
conclusion. Of course, to the one
experiencing it, that tria! is the
greatest. Nothing equals it. One
might desire to trade one's tria! for
another 's- after all , isn't the "grass
always g reener"?
And childlessness
is
a major tria!
to many! lt is not to be minimized.
It
has to be accepted. How the couple
react to it is of great importance.
As 1 write 1 am surrounded by
my children. My first ones arrived
in the 1950s. How excited 1 was!
T horough preparations were made
for their arrival. 1 studied al!
J
could about children.
As the big day approached–
September 7 was the "due date," 1
recaii- J could hardly wait! All was
in readiness. 1 had tried to remem–
ber every detail; l left nothing to
chance. 1 didn 't want to give them a
wrong beginning! 1 knew how
important that was. And l didn't
want to lose them as they grew. I
al rcady had seen sorne of that hap–
pen to othcrs.
Day and night my thoughts werc
on my children. 1 got to know thcm
thoroughly. Their successes werc
mine; their shor tcomings showed
me where 1 necded to work harder.
Why s hould I be writing on
childlessness then, the reader may
wonder in skepticism. How can l
understand the childless reader's
plight?
Well, this is why: The children
mentioned here were never born of
me. They are my students.
· Childlcss couples must come to
look at their barrenness as a situa–
tion in life they rnust accept and
live with. They couJd look for
means to help individual children
who are parentless because of
wretched home life. Tbey could
work with groups in which children
are involved. Such groups are often
looking for leaders. One never
knows wherc his or her inftuence
can be of bcnefit.
In earlier years of world's his–
tory, single or childless relatives
often played a sizable part in
nieccs' or nephews' education and
training. And they still can today in
many cases.
Childlcss couples must face life
with strength. Expect that occa–
sional unthinking remarks will be
made by friends, relatives and
strangers about your childlessness.
But the childless, too, may have
said the wrong words to a person
newly widowed, or may have cor–
rected , in error, a coupJe wbo were
having chi ld-reari ng difficulties.
Look at life opt imistically. Acccpl
your childless state as fact. Trust
God to make any changes in his time
if he so wills. With him
nothing
is
impossible. Even Sarah in hcr
"deadness" at 89 laughed when she
heard she'd be a motber! (Note what
this did to infertility charting!)
Lazarus carne forth
f rom the dead.
Is anything too hard for God?
Accept life as it is and go on in
faith . l n thc future , with your
interests and energies channeled
into helping others and not
expended every month looking for
signs of pregnancy, sorne of you
reading this may find you'll be
rejoicing over what perhaps you
had long before stopped expccting!
Leave all in God's hands!
o
The PLAIN TRUTH