Lesli Westfall stops by The G-ZONE!

It is estimated that one in six American couples (7.3 million women) are affected by infertility. Christian women are no more immune to these astounding statistics than anyone else. When experiencing infertility, a woman's feelings about herself, her relationships with others and her belief in God become confused and complicated. Having experienced these emotions herself, Lesli A. Westfall has written Dancing Upon Barren Land: Prayer, Scripture Reflections, and Hope for Infertility not only as a prayer guide for women facing infertility, but as a resource for churches and support groups. Much like many couples today, Westfall and her husband put a family on hold for their careers and to build a savings. In fact, this approach has become so prevalent in today's society that within the fertility world it has been given the official terminology as “delayed parenting.” By the time Westfall felt God nudging her to start a family, it was too late—a number of factors, including age, kept her from carrying a child of her own. “I went through the range of emotions one goes through in trying to get pregnant. I felt angry at God, jealous of others who were expecting, disappointed every month and essentially left with a broken heart,” she confesses. As Westfall went through this difficult season, she would journal, writing out her feelings and frustrations as she prayed to God for His help. When Westfall reflected upon what she had written, she clearly saw God and His faithfulness every step of the way. She realized God was turning her disappointments into appointments with Him, leading to the creation of the Dancing Upon Barren Land ministry and eventually the new book by the same name.

Lesli Westfall