After spending a week trying to get over a nasty head cold, I found myself thinking about how it’s similar to dealing with infertility.

Since I work with children every day, I get exposed to their coughs and sneezes – especially in the winter when sickness spreads around and around.

I know that it’s likely that I’ll catch a cold (or two or three) during the winter months, so I do all I can to prevent it and to shorten colds.

I take vitamin C & zinc, I’ve tried the various over-the-counter versions of those, I’ve rested, I’ve taken cold medicines, I’ve gargled salt water, and I even try drinking a hot tea made with honey, raw apple cider vinegar, raw garlic, and ginger root. (Sounds gross but it tastes okay when you’re sick!)

I try to prevent sickness by washing my hands and maintaining the best hygiene I can (while having a toddler drooling and sneezing on me).

I pray. I ask God for healing, and I pray that sickness will be gone in the name of Jesus. The bottom line is this: I don’t like being sick with a cold, but it’s part of my reality right now, and despite all I try, I can’t make it end any faster than it’s going to end. In due time, I will be well again. (I’m so grateful that this is just a common cold I’m fighting, not a more serious or chronic illness.)

However, there is a chronic health issue I’m dealing with, and it’s called infertility. And I’ve sought a lot of cures, both from a doctor and by using over-the-counter resources. I’ve prayed for years, and have been prayed for by others for years. And the bottom line is this: I don’t like not being able to get pregnant, but it’s part of my reality right now, and despite all I try, I can’t make it end any faster than it’s going to end.

In His right time, in God’s due time, I will become a mom. Truly, it’s in His hands, and there is only so much I can do to make it happen. (Read last week’s post on this topic here: www.hopeduringinfertility.com/how-we-become-parents/)

So as I wait for my body to heal from a winter cold, and as I wait for my body to produce offspring, I learn to rest, to focus on other things, and to trust that my Creator is also my Healer, believing that in Him it is well.

Hi, I’m Betsy, and I live in the Washington, D.C. area with my husband, Mike. We have been married since 2008. We enjoy exploring new cities together on foot, eating at our favorite Italian restaurants, and doing life as a team.

I published my first book Embracing Hope During Infertility in January 2015. You can learn more about me here. I would love for you to connect with me by following my Hope During Infertility Facebook page or my Betsy Herman, Writer Facebook page.

Thanks so much for reading my posts!