Barbara Ann Repan

Sharing Hope that Anchors the Soul

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When God Does not Answer our Prayers

March 15, 2017 by Barbara

God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we’d like. I believe He has reasons and we don’t know what He is up to. We may never know, this side of heaven.

I imagine when I’m in His presence it will not even matter.His Presence is all that matters

I’ve been writing about our story of hope once a month. Today is Part 2. For previous posts: Introduction and Part One

My prayers during the time we tried to have a child was “please God, don’t let me get pregnant only to miscarry.” So why did God allow me to miscarry? Was I angry? Not at first, anger came later. I knew I miscarried before the doctor confirmed it. I told John I was no longer pregnant. His reply was that I was just fearful. But I knew. During the ultrasound my doctor is looking and looking and finally says the dreaded news. Our prayers were not answered. But on the way home I was remarkably fine. At least we got pregnant finally! I was once again full of hope!

But the next step for us was IVF (In Vitro Fertilization), which was thousands of dollars. Thousands we did not have. We decided to stop further treatments and go back to “trusting God” to give us the blessing of a child.

Month after month we prayed, I took my temperature, counted days, propped my butt up after sex, tried to forget about it. We never got pregnant again but we had fun trying. 🙂

Most people just don’t know what to say to someone going through something they have not experienced. We heard all the usual comments.

“Take our kids for a day. That’ll cure you!”

“Just relax”

               “You need more faith” (a pastor told us that one)

“It’ll happen when you stop trying”

“It’s no big deal. You can always adopt”

People mean well. I think most do anyway. They just don’t realize how insensitive those comments can be to a couple trying to do all the right things to conceive. These are typical comments and they are all false. I had faith we would conceive up until the time I went through menopause.

What should you say?

Glad you asked because I want to help you, help them.

Ask about the medical process. Show interest even if you don’t understand it all. Ask questions. It shows you care and are interested in what they are dealing with.

Compliment them for their strength and perseverance. You could say, “Seeing you smile despite what you are going through is a strength I see in you.” They don’t feel like they have strength for another day sometimes.

Genuinely care. Grieve with them. Month after month an infertile couple experiences loss. In the time frame that John and I tried we experienced over 60 losses. Whew! If not for God’s Grace, I would not have made it. It’s hard, physically and emotionally. Marriage is difficult enough and with this added burden, it can really mess things up.

Couples trying to conceive have read everything, tried everything and asked their doctors everything, so it’s probably best to not offer advice. Offer to pray for them. Send flowers or thinking of you cards. Love them.

These are just a few ways to help. For more ideas visit Resolve.org

I will continue next month with more about hope, infertility and God’s grace in this journey of life.

Thank you for reading. If you know someone who could use a dose of hope, please send her here; I’d love to pray for her. My contact info is at the top.

If you enjoy my corner here, I invite you subscribe for updates at this link Subscribe to Barbara’s blog

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Filed Under: Hopeless to HopeFull Tagged With: Hope, Hopeful, infertility, Prayer

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Comments

  1. Debbie says

    March 16, 2017 at 9:56 am

    I look forward to your blogs each month, and you sharing your journey
    with us. You are an amazing person!

    • Barbara says

      March 16, 2017 at 10:03 am

      Thank you Debbie. I give God the glory for carrying me through this storm and I pray it helps others. Thank you for being a faithful reader here. 🙂

  2. Carrie says

    March 16, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    Nicely written. Thanks for sharing Aunt Barbara! ❤❤❤

    • Barbara says

      March 16, 2017 at 4:09 pm

      Thank you Carrie. <3

  3. Leslie says

    March 16, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    Miscarriagae is so hard.
    Waiting is so hard.
    God is with us in that hard cleft of the rock,
    the place where blessings flow.

    • Barbara says

      March 16, 2017 at 4:12 pm

      Amen! Yes He is. At times we feel like He has abandoned us and it’s part of being human, I guess. Truth is, He never leaves us. Thank you for stopping by. 🙂

  4. Laura Rath says

    March 16, 2017 at 11:02 pm

    Your suggestions of what to say are so helpful. I didn’t know what to say, or understand the pain of a miscarriage, until I went through it myself. God carried me through and taught me so much in that time of grief. Thank you for sharing your story here.

    • Barbara says

      March 16, 2017 at 11:22 pm

      Thank you Laura. Our loss can be used by God to bring us closer to Him. And for that I’m grateful.

  5. Janette says

    March 24, 2017 at 10:59 am

    Thank you for sharing your story Barbara…it is also my story. My husband, John, and I were blessed with a miracle, our daughter. I really believe it, because all the numbers say we are infertile. Our hope is truly in the Lord.

    • Barbara says

      March 24, 2017 at 11:04 am

      I love hearing stories like this! Thank God for your little one. God has the final say, that is for sure. Thank you Janette for stopping by here. 🙂

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Welcome!


Hi Friend, Welcome to my corner of the online world, where I write to encourage and give hope. I believe everyone could use a dose of hope from time to time so whether you need hope for your marriage, your closet, or anything in between, I hope you find some encouragement here.

Having been through some hard situations, I understand what it's like to live hopeless, depressed, angry, and bitter until God rescued me in His Love and Grace. In Him, I found an Anchor to keep me safe and secure. My passion is to share how He has rescued me and give others encouragement, as He has for me.

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