Wounds and Arrows

Bethann has commented on our blog that her fertility issues feel like a "non-healing wound on her soul ... and the scab keeps getting ripped off." Oh, how I understand that feeling all too well.

A book that I have read and reread is The Sacred Romance by John Eldredge and Brent Curtis. This book talks about Arrows. Arrows are anything that has pierced your heart or your soul and from which it has been difficult or impossible to recover. The authors say that the result is

"a shift deep in our soul ...

an approach to life that becomes our personality ...

our shape ... our convictions ...

the Arrows taint and direct our spiritual life."

If you feel that something is missing in your life, your heart, your soul, there is some wisdom in this book: performance isn't everything, we must regain an image of our original shimmering self, we must draw closer to the heart of God.

We cannot heal our own hurts. I believe that we are created to be in relationship with each other and with God. I have seen women's souls healed through contact with other women who are also in the process of healing. And through contact with a God that wants nothing more than to heal our hurts tenderly.

Cry your eyes out. Cry out with your voice. He will hear you.

Read More About The Sacred Romance: Chapter 1: The Lost Life of the Heart

Yoga and Infertility

Before you think I'm saying that practicing yoga is good for your fertility, think again. Maybe it is! I'm quite sure that anything that is healthy for your body and mind will help.

What I'm not sure is if the pseudo-spiritual side of yoga is on target. But there is a mystical tradition of meditation in Christian circles that intersects with it. If you're really "flexible and twisty" you can probably do the bird of paradise or even the frog while meditating and praying ... I know I'm always praying. Praying I can get through the class every week without hurting myself!

I do know that while I am determined to exercise and stretch my muscles practicing yoga, I am as equally determined to exercise and stretch my prayer muscles! Try it! You don't have to do yoga, you can do cardio, lift weights, go on hikes, or swim.

It is great to do these things with a friend and deepen your friendship, but it is also great to do these things with our Friend and deepen our relationship with Him. Believe me, when Jesus walked this earth, He put in a lot of miles, there were no cars, remember.

I would like to think that He knows first hand the kind of physical anguish we are in when we are exercising for health reasons, to lose weight, to increase our fertility, to get our mind in gear and/or just to fill up time so we don't think about that child we so desperately want.

So, when I'm practicing yoga, I talk to Him. And, when I am most twisted up and desperate for a break, I listen.