Mothers in Waiting: Healing and Hope for Those with Empty Arms

by Crystal Bowman, Meghann Bowman

Overview

You Are Not Alone

From the moment you cradled your first baby doll, you imagined yourself a mom. Now here you are, a member of the club no one wants to join—the ten percent of women who struggle to fulfill their motherhood dreams because of infertility.
 
Meghann Bowman knows what it’s like to be part of that club. Along with best-selling author Crystal Bowman, Meghann has compiled 30 hope-filled stories of women who received the same diagnosis and experienced the heartache she did. Contributors include Valorie Burton, Katie Norris, Shay Shull, Stephanie Tait, Kathe Wunnenberg, and more—women whose journeys through everything from infertility and miscarriage to adoption and miracle births will buoy your faith.
 
Your story may not look the same, or have the same ending, but you don’t have to suffer alone. You are surrounded by a club of Mothers in Waiting—women willing to come alongside you to offer comfort and peace as you wait.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780736975360
Publisher:	Harvest House Publishers
Publication date:	02/05/2019
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,136,104
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.46(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Crystal Bowman is a bestselling, awarding-winning author of over 100 books for women and children. Her books have been translated into eight languages and are distributed worldwide. She and her husband have three children and seven grandchildren. They live in Michigan and Florida—wherever the weather is best.

Meghann Bowman is mom to a long-awaited son and daughter. Prior to joining the ranks of motherhood, she enjoyed a professional career as a real estate attorney. Meghann is a runner and a traveler. She and her husband make their home near Washington, D.C.

Table of Contents

You're Not Alone 11

1 Those Who Sow Tears Katherine Alumbaugh 13

2 Plans for Good Meghann Bowman 19

3 Reap in Joy Jillian Burden 25

4 Desires of Your Heart Valorie Burton 31

5 Keep Your Heart with All Diligence Karen DeVries 39

6 Things Hoped For Shelby Doll 45

7 For This Child I Prayed Donna Fagerstrom 51

8 The Power That Works in Us Karen Granger 57

9 Deeply Devoted to the Lord Amanda Hope Haley 63

10 In Everything Give Thanks Mary Hassinger 69

11 Trust in the Lord MacKenzie Clark Howard 75

12 He Grants the Barren Woman a Home Sara M. Howard 81

13 Your Mercy Will Hold Me Up Darci Irwin 87

14 Yet I Will Rejoice Wendi Kitsteiner 93

15 More than Conquerors Ke-Jia Liu 99

16 My Portion Forever Zena Dell Lowe 105

17 The God Who Sees Me Kelly Miller 111

18 With God All Things Are Possible Katie Norris 117

19 The Lord Goes Before You Megan O'Connell 123

20 Saved in This Hope Grace O'Connor 129

21 Do Nor Lose Heart Becky Schrotenboer 135

22 Something You Would Not Believe Shay Shull 141

23 A Future and a Hope Katie Cruice Smith 147

24 God Healed Melissa Sodoma 153

25 My Grace Is Sufficient Stephanie Tait 159

26 In Your Hand LaShea Udoaka 165

27 He Shall Direct Your Path Joan Van Wyck 171

28 A Good Work in You Leslie B. Vorndran 177

29 Wait for It Stefanie Vourron 183

30 Father of Compassion Kathe Wunnenberg 189

Meet Our Contributors 195

Editorial Reviews

"I once heard a movie star mom share her exhilaration about adopting her infant son. When she saw him, she announced, 'Oh, there you are!' as if she'd been reconciled with a part of her own being. The hole of infertility is like that: tearing a part of our very being from ourselves. So often we are left alone with our pain. Until now. Here, in the pages of Mothers in Waiting, you'll find a part of yourself reconnecting in the stories of others who've experienced this grief. Just like you...and just like me. And as you do, you'll likely hear an echo reverberating as you rediscover that lost part of your being, 'Oh, there you are!'"
—Elisa Morgan, Speaker; author of The Prayer Coin and The Beauty of Broken; president emerita, MOPS International; cohost, Discover the Word

"'Who am I if I'm not a mother?' was the heart cry of Karen Granger, one of 30 women who bravely share their stories of hope in these beautiful pages, a question deeply reflecting their common sorrow. There was a season when my heart was so broken by our infertility struggles that I would not have been receptive to these diverse stories. Having admitted my struggle, I want to encourage you that if you are currently in a place of wanting to see a few of the many ways God can bring good from the grief and anguish of your barrenness while gathering a few hard-earned tips on how these women learned to find strength in Jesus through the midst of their pain, this is the book for you! When given to God, infertility always, eventually, leads to joyful resolution, often through some method of motherhood—birth, foster care, various forms of adoption, step—or sometimes by learning how to embrace God's unique, personal plan for your life as His daughter without children in your home. As Amanda Hope Haley points out in chapter 9, God's personal path for you dramatically differs from His unchangeable will for all mankind—to know Him. Infertility is sometimes the plan God allows us to journey to achieve His will in drawing our hearts to Himself. That path can be agonizing and seem unending while being endured. As these stories, each written from the 'after' perspective of resolution, point out, the good plan God has for you is written in great love and will ultimately lead to your good and His glory."
—Jennifer Saake, Author of Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss; founder/director emeritus, Hannah's Prayer Ministries

From the Publisher