Science Intersects Humanity and Faith
Heaven is a place I long to become a part of. I imagine it to be white, calm, and uplifting. I think it might feel like being on a cloud, but that's probably just a manifestation of my imagination.
I asked God many times why He had not allowed us to become pregnant. Over the many years we tried, got our hopes up, and were disappointed. We struggled in more ways than you can imagine. Those who have been through this know how difficult it is to deal with constant cycles of hope and disappointment.
Only now can I look back and accept and understand what He was doing. It wasn't our time or His choice to have us conceive the 'normal' way. We were not ready to be parents and He knew that. He took us through the pain and suffering of infertility to bring us together as a couple and to a place where our hearts were truly open and ready to be fulfilled with the responsibilities of the job. He wanted us to find a place where Science intersects Humanity and Faith.
Science offered somewhat cold and often uncomfortable instruments of procedure and experimentation. Needles, drugs, bright lights, probes, injections, intervention, probabilities, analysis. Ultimately, Science gave the gift of results, success and respect for what was possible in the ever-changing medical world.
Humanity delivered hope, desire, pain, joy, expectation, judgment and love. Our doctors and nurses brought understanding, compassion and determination. They also brought humor and levity at times when we needed it, and serious discussion when times were difficult.
Faith forced us to search, question, forgive, suffer, trust and believe. Only with God's love were we allowed the ultimate gift of reproduction and life.
This juxtaposition of forces caused much difficulty in our lives. In the end, it delivered incredible joy. As Rachel was born in 2005, our lives changed forever and our faith deepened to a new level. As Ryan was born in 2008 we cried again knowing that God had chosen us one more time to become parents.
I shudder as I imagine their precious lives starting off within each of us, then evolving under expensive microscopes and gentle hands, enduring extreme freezing temperatures and warming conditions, a complete miracle in scientific intervention, and then lovingly placed by caring people inside my body and into God's hand.
He chose us to become parents and we love Him dearly for this gift. He chose our path to find the incredible promise of medicine and humanity at the Regional Fertility Program, and to ultimately become one of the many success stories here tonight.
Our lives are enriched daily by the sounds of song, laughter, words and dance. Blessings come in mysterious ways and tonight we celebrate the greatest miracle of them all.
