Just Because it Looks Barren...

It's autumn now, and outside the leaves fall to the ground and crunch below my feet as I walk. I remember looking at the trees six months ago and seeing tiny green leaves and flowering blooms.

In the neighborhood where I work there are many flowering trees. I drove around during a cloudy afternoon in April, admiring the colorful buds that covered the trees. I happened to notice that several trees appeared to have no signs of life - they looked like dried up skeletons against the stormy sky.

At that moment I sensed God speaking to my heart. He said, "Just because it looks like it's barren doesn't mean that it is."

I knew that He wasn't just talking about trees - He was talking to my heart that so desperately wants to have a child of my own (although it hasn't happened yet). 

As summer came, I paid attention to the seemingly lifeless trees and sure enough, they grew green leaves. They weren't barren after all, just later to bloom than the others. 

I'm still waiting for my miracle of new life, yet in this process God has taught me so much. I'm writing a book about my journey of having hope during a season of infertility (more on that here). We haven't reached the happy ending of our story yet, but God is always good, and His hope is worth talking about. So stay tuned, because the book is coming!

PS That tree that looks like a skeleton in the photo above eventually bloomed. Here it is today:

Want to read more about my journey through infertility? I wrote my book before ever becoming pregnant - because hope can be found even in those difficult places. Embracing Hope During Infertility is available on Amazon.