Three Decades of Fertility: Ten Ordinary Women Surrender to
the Creator and Embrace Life
This book is a captivating read for the simple reason that
these women have continually said ‘Yes!’ to bringing new babies into this world
at ages that most women would not. You’ve
probably got the image of the Duggers on your brain by now, thinking that
having babies into your late thirties and forties is a ridiculous concept. Not so for these brave souls! I’m not going to tell you that I understand
what’s it like to go through pregnancy or to have multiple children, being a
man that’s impossible, but I will tell you that these stories are about women
of faith, who believe in the work of a Mighty God, and who would go to bat for
every one of their children. Rather than
capture the entire book, I hope to give you some highlights of the book that
let you in on the experience of these women.
This might seem a bit unordinary but one of my favorite
sections of the book came from a quote by Camron in the first chapter. She writes, “…waiting to have children until
you are “ready” may sound like a good idea but in reality does not stand the
test. In reality, a man responds to the
heat of the crucible by growing in his ability to meet responsibility”
(69). How does a couple know that they
are ready? Surely not by the amount of
money in the bank account, because you can never account for the things that
happen with having kids, only the monthly expenses early on. Camron is right in that the proposal that you
have to be “ready” before you have children will not hold. I do want to push back a little here and say
that if both couples aren’t on the same page about being prepared emotionally, spiritually,
and financially for a new baby, there can be some strain when the baby comes because
some of these issues haven’t been approached.
But, Cameron is right in that a man steps up his game as the time comes
for him to do so gets hotter.
The chapter by Jeanette Paulson brought us into the
experience of a young mother trying to raise children with some help. At one point, Jeanette writes, “…I ran a
child centered home – seeking to please my children in all things and to never
cross them except in cases of great danger.
This child rearing method makes motherhood a dismal affair” (87). This is a tough point for both mothers and
fathers, knowing when to serve and love your children and how to take
responsibility. Pleasing our children
almost comes without saying, but as Jeanette realized, this doesn’t lead to a
good home environment. Jeanette was
quick to take responsibility and knew that by doing so she would be doing right
for her kids. I can almost imagine it’s
a very difficult thing to try to please your children anyway, when multiple
kids are in the house.
I think mothers will greatly benefit from this book and the
encouragement to stay the course in child rearing. Even more, there is a picture of faith here
that is unwavering even through the tough times of life. I will indicate to some readers that many of
these women have very strong views on having births at home instead of at a
hospital, Pitocin, homeschooling, and other issues. I certainly didn’t agree on some of these
issues but it was worth reading to find out why these mothers took such a
strong stance.
Thanks to Visionary Womanhood and Cross Focused Reviews for
the complimentary review copy of this book in exchange for review.
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