It might come as a text, a photo online, or a happy announcement at church. Someone you love shares the news you have been praying to share yourself. You smile, you say the kind words, and then you find a quiet place where your heart can finally ache.
If you are waiting and praying for a baby, you may know this moment well. And you may feel guilty for how much it hurts. Please hear this: feeling sorrow for your own longing does not mean you are not glad for someone else. The Lord understands a heart that holds both, and He has grace for you right here.
Jesus is touched by what you feel
Hebrews 4:15-16 offers a tender comfort: “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jesus is not distant from your pain. He is touched by it. You can come boldly, just as you are, and find grace to help in that very moment of need.
Your tears are not wasted
David wrote, “Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?” (Psalm 56:8).
Every tear you have cried in this wait is known to God. At the tomb of His friend Lazarus, “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). Your sorrow is not a lack of faith. It is something He meets with compassion.
Rejoicing and weeping, both held in love
Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.”
Notice that this verse goes both ways. The same verse that invites you to share in someone else’s joy also calls others to weep with you. You are part of the body of Christ, and your grief belongs there too.
You do not have to manufacture feelings you do not have. You can ask the Lord to help you love others well, and trust Him to grow genuine gladness in His time, while you are honest about the ache you carry.
Gentle ways to walk through these moments
- Pray before you respond. Even a few seconds is enough. “Lord, help me love well, and hold my heart.”
- Give yourself permission to feel. Step away for a quiet moment if you need to. Tell the Lord exactly what hurts.
- Choose what you can carry. Sometimes you may be able to celebrate in person. Other times a kind card or a gift sent with love may be the wiser choice for your heart. Both can be loving.
- Let someone share the load. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” A trusted friend, your pastor, or a counselor can pray with you after the hard days.
- Pray a blessing over the other family. When you are ready, praying for them can gently soften your own heart as well.
A companion for the tender days
I wrote Praying for a Baby for women walking through this waiting season. It is a 40-day devotional with Scripture, prayers, and hope for the waiting season. On the days when someone else’s news stirs up your own longing, it can help you turn your heart back to the Lord, one day at a time.
Find Praying for a Baby on Amazon
He is your portion today
Psalm 73:26 says, “My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”
When your heart feels like it is failing, God remains its strength. Whatever today holds, He is your portion, and He is enough to carry you through this moment and the next.
A prayer for you
Lord, You know how my heart aches when I hear the news I long to share. Thank You that You are touched by what I feel, and that every tear is known to You. Give me grace to love others well, and honesty to bring my sorrow to You. Be the strength of my heart and my portion today. Hold me close in this wait, and fill me with Your peace. In Jesus’ name, amen.
With love,
Kalinda Grace