Christians who face infertility often hear about Abraham and Sarah as an encouragement to be patient. After all, God's timing is unfathomable and often doesn't coincide with our own. Here's the thing, though, that some of those well-meaning encouragers seem to miss: no matter the case, the situations are different. I could go into an analysis of the ages of all the patriarchs and how 99 really wasn't "that old" back then (considering Noah's age, for example, when he had his sons). I could discuss Abraham's visions and audible conversations with God. I could go into any number of reasons why the situations are not the same, but I won't. Because that doesn't matter.
What matters about Abraham's situation - at least to me - is the fact that he is still HUMAN. Here is a man who is blessed with tremendous faith, who knows his God personally, who is given visions......and yet, he still has human reactions. For example:
Abraham ARGUED with God. In effect, he accuses God of being "out of His mind"! Surely a child couldn't be born to an elderly couple! That's ludicrous! And yet, there's one more thing in his reaction: he doesn't despair. He doesn't accuse God of toying with him, of being cruel. What does he do? In the midst of 24 years of waiting for a promised child, he laughs. He laughs! What an attitude! Despite having nothing to show for it, Abraham is not bitter. He is not distraught or beaten down. He is AMUSED. Personally, I am not encouraged or blessed by this story of waiting or this fulfillment of promise. But today, I am blessed by the human-ness of Abraham. I am blessed by the laughter of a pillar of our faith.
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