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[This post is a part of my series on infertile women in the Bible, Barren + Biblical. Click here to return to the Barren + Biblical homepage.]
Sarah and Abraham might be the most well-known example of infertility in the Bible. If you grew up in the church, you probably know and remember this story (but if not, here’s a quick recap):
God promised Abraham children as numerous as the stars in the sky (Genesis 15:5); Abraham’s first thought was to believe Him (smart, Abraham)…but then Sarah panicked and had him sleep with her maidservant Hagar to have Ishmael (Genesis 16:2); God promised Abraham again that he would be the “father of many” and even changed his name from Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5); Abraham laughed because he was too old (Genesis 17:17); God promised Abraham a son yet AGAIN (how many times do you have to hear it to believe it, Abraham?), but first made sure Sarah was listening (Genesis 18:9-10); Sarah overheard and laughed because she was too old (Genesis 18:12); Sarah got pregnant and gave birth to Isaac, finally (Genesis 21:1-2).
(Again, that’s the Cliff Notes version…you should actually read Genesis 15-21 for the details.)
Our favorite part? Sarah laughed. Can you imagine? Laughing at God? But God’s got a sense of humor, too, it turns out– that baby’s name being Isaac (he laughs)? Classic. Love it. And this laughter that keeps coming up is arguably the central theme here, and there are a lot of lessons to be learned from that (more on that below).
But first: I think it would be easy to miss another hidden gem of a lesson from the Bible story of Sarah and her infertility.
If only…
Although I can relate to Sarah too, in some ways I kind of connect more with Abraham. My favorite line in this story is Genesis 17:18 (right after Abraham laughs): “And Abraham said to God, ‘If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!'”
If only.
God, if only I could get pregnant this month.
If only we would’ve started trying sooner.
If only you would just listen to the plan I have.
God, if only…
We love “if onlys.” (Well, okay, “love” might not be the right word here.) Turns out Abraham did too.
I take it back: My favorite line is not actually Genesis 17:18, but rather God’s response to Abraham in the first part of verse 19: “Yes, but…”
I picture God saying: “Yeah, yeah, I get it, BUT do you realize the plan I have for you? Do you realize that it’s actually better than what you’re asking me for?”
Yeah, I get it, you want to get pregnant right now, but listen to this!
Yeah, I know you think you should’ve started trying sooner, but trust me on this!
Abraham told God he’d be satisfied if He would just bless his other son, Ishmael. But instead God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son.” (Genesis 17:19)
Yes, I’ll bless Ishmael too…but you’re not thinking big enough. I’ve got an even better plan than the one you’ve thought of. Trust me.
God’s Plan
Has it ever occurred to you that God’s plan is better than yours? It’s a simple and obvious revelation, really, but I think we forget it sometimes…because His plan doesn’t always seem better here on earth. It doesn’t always look better. And it’s not always the easiest.
We can’t see what God sees and we definitely don’t have the infinite wisdom that God does. And so our plans don’t always line up with His. God may not have promised you a child like he did Abraham…but He did promise you a better plan than the one you have for yourself.
God answers your “if onlys” with a “yes, but…”
And now, to the laughing:
Too old
(Cue Happy Gilmore: “But she’s an old lady…I mean, just look at her! She’s old…she’s just too…OLD!”)
At the ripe old age of 30 (relax, people, that’s sarcastic, I know I’m not actually old), I still feel like I can relate to 90-year-old Sarah saying she’s too old to have a baby.
As a matter of fact, multiple people have told me the opposite recently, as an attempt to cheer me up: “You’re still so young!”
I appreciate the effort, but inwardly I’m laughing bitterly (bitterly is how I imagine Sarah laughed to herself in Genesis 18:12). Since I couldn’t get pregnant in my 20s, you’re telling me I’ll have a better chance of it in my 30s? Something doesn’t seem logical here.
But then I have to rebuke myself (since the Lord doesn’t seem to be in the habit of coming down here Himself to do that anymore like He did back in Bible times when Sarah and Abraham were going through infertility).
Am I really about to place a limit on what I think God is capable of? Am I really more concerned with statistics and likelihoods than I am with God’s abilities?
I think God would respond to my laughter the same way that He did to Sarah, by asking, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (Genesis 18:14)
That’s when I’d respond like Sarah: No, yes, I believe you…sorry, God I wasn’t really laughing, per se. (Said sheepishly…I always imagine Sarah responding sort of sheepishly.)
Don’t you wonder why God made them wait so long for a child if His plan was to give them Isaac all along? Why did Sarah (or anyone else in the Bible) have to go through infertility? I know I do. We may never know for sure, but I do know one thing from this story:
God likes to do miracles
If God gave Abraham and Sarah children right away, do you really think they would have understood the power of the Lord? Do you really think they would have been convinced of God’s power to do all things?
Yes, God may make us wait for things so that He can prepare us for our future callings, so that He can build in us perseverance.
But these times of waiting are also when God reveals His power to us. Sometimes we’re so worried about what we should be doing or how we’re changing that we forget our focus. We shouldn’t be focused on learning about ourselves during this waiting time, but about God. And He loves opportunities to do miracles.
[This post is a part of my series on infertile women in the Bible, Barren + Biblical. Click here to return to the Barren + Biblical homepage.]
