Song of THe BArren Woman

Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband, says the Lord. Isaiah 54:1 NIV

Through the prophet Isaiah, God addresses one of today’s most prevalent and often-painful women’s issues – infertility. Rarely do we hear about Joy and infertility in the same sentence. Rarely do we hear about singing praises and barrenness in the same sentence. But rarely, also, do we consider the Biblical answers to this tremendous issue. According to the latest CDC statistics 6.1 million American women have impaired fecundity (difficulty conceiving or carrying a child to term). Christian women across the country search daily in the scriptures for assistance on raising children, selecting a mate, and guidance for everyday living; but quickly turn to medical journals and internet chat rooms for advice on infertility.

As with other issues that we face in life, God has given us instruction and assurance about this barrenness as well. God has offered the concept of a child of promise. This is a child that may or may not be actually born of the mother (the one who raises the child), but is promised to her nonetheless. In Genesis God gives Sarah a child of promise -- Isaac. This is a child who was promised to Sarah even in her barrenness. And, as always, God fulfilled his promise, even when it seemed impossible.

Today, God often gives children of promise to women through adoption. Although the issue of adoption is becoming more and more socially acceptable discussion material, and trans-racial and trans-cultural adoption is becoming more prevalent, adoption is still an issue that is commonly swept under the rug, locked away in a safe or hidden from the world. Because of this idea that adoption is a secret issue, Americans who choose to adopt often resort to seeking to gender, race and culturally-select their children so that no one can “tell that they’re adopted.” God isn’t bound by our cultural and racial boundaries. Not only have countries such as China, Russia, Latvia, Guatemala and India opened up for international adoption, where uncounted millions of children await to find forever families, but there are 130,000 children of varying cultural ancestry and ages right now waiting for families here in America. These children are not mistakes. God didn’t create them by accident and they, like children born into a family, want and need caring Christians to bring them home into their “families of promise.”

Fears such as time, expense, questions of bonding, fears about birth parents coming to interfere are not bigger than God. His promised children will be brought into their families of promise. He alone can overcome all obstacles and to fear otherwise is merely interference by our enemy. For the Lord is good, and his love endures forever, and his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5

James instructs us that Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this; to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 This instruction goes against the secular ideas in “treatment” of infertility and challenges us to follow God’s example and bring His waiting children into their “families of promise.”

Throughout the New Testament, we are instructed that we, as Christians, are adopted children of God. Christ is God’s only son by “nature,” that is that God is the biological father. We, however, are each adopted children of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. And, as described in Galatians 4:5, with that adoption, we are given a full inheritance. What better endorsement for adoption can there be than an example set by God Himself through His Son.

Christian Adoption agencies and Christian adoptive parents can offer answers to questions about adoption. The process of adopting – whether internationally or domestically – is far less daunting than the prospect not fulfilling God’s perfect will and the promise of a loving family to a child.

*This is a commissioned article for a Christian Women's Magazine