“A few years ago I attended a star party. Not the kind of party where movie stars are celebrated, but where galaxies and planets were the main attraction.

I gathered with hundreds of people at dusk to see the sun set and the moon rise as we anticipated the fall of darkness. A local group of astronomers brought their high-powered telescopes and invited people to gaze at the planets and stars through the lens of their telescopes. Waiting in line, it was finally my turn to look through the small hole where my eyes adjusted to see Saturn and its rings. Observing the brightness and beauty of the stars illuminated in the darkness was both majestic and humbling. It reminded me that some things can only be seen in the dark.”

Continue reading Pam’s story.

“According to science, the path to motherhood is a straightforward line.

Although I had known other women who struggled and had heard of many fertility obstacles, I mostly thought that science’s cute little timeline was a good standard for how it looks for a woman to become a parent. Science, and my body, decided to prove me wrong. They double crossed me and made my timeline resemble something more like a horror story.”

“Slowly, and painfully, I learned there are quiet times in one’s faith—the kind that fill us with doubt when the Lord’s voice is muffled by life. It became transparent that my lifelong love of the Lord had been offered to Him conditionally.”

Continue reading Shirley’s story.

“I sat on the end of the emergency room bed, feet dangling, feeling like a wrung out washcloth. Before me, a doctor asked questions and took notes. I told him the truth, but I tried to avoid his eyes. How did this happen?

I never expected to be at Georgetown Hospital—the same place I’d delivered my daughter only weeks before—answering questions about whether I had thoughts of harming myself or my baby. It was the last place I wanted to be on that autumn night, especially as my husband held our beautiful daughter. But I knew this visit was necessary.”

Continue reading Shay’s story.

“Several days into my honeymoon, I found myself alone in bed while typing the words “How to get a divorce in Washington state” into my phone. It was the summer of 2013, a few short days after our wedding. We were in Italy, but my husband was nowhere to be found.

During dinner that night, I had walked away from an impossible fight. My husband’s words were cruel and cutting, which made me scared and confused. Trudging a mile uphill in the dark, I prayed for safety. Surrounded by the festive sounds of outdoor music and the rhythmic crashing of waves on the beach below, I had never felt more hopeless.”

Continue reading Katelyn’s story.

“We received amazing news in an early morning message: my dad had a kidney transplant match.”

“A few hours later things took another sudden turn. For reasons unknown at the time, the surgery went from a success in progress to a mission to save Dad’s life…. Why would God give us such hope and elation just a few hours prior only to yank it away?”

Continue reading Gena’s story.