Inconceivable

by Shannon Woodward

Women who are anxious to conceive—and who have yet to conceive—know about waiting. Waiting is the hallmark of infertility. You wait in doctors' offices. You wait to ovulate. You wait for prescriptions to be filled. You wait for the pregnancy test indicator to light up. You wait for a miracle, and then you wait again. Inconceivable is the remarkable true-life story of Shannon Woodward—a woman who stopped waiting her life away. She wrote this book for other women who've been waiting—for women who can't afford the next round of medical treatments, who can't bear to let their feeble hopes rise again only to have them crash to the ground in disappointment. Woodward revisits eighteen years of personal frustration, pain and anger. She speaks of healing, but not the kind that other women in her condition have prayed for. The healing she has experienced is the healing of walking another path—the path of peace that she is uniquely equipped to share.

Genres: Womens

222 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2006

About the author

I am a pastor's wife, editor, speaker, and the author or co-writer of ten books, including Inconceivable: Finding Peace in the Midst of Infertility, and A Whisper in Winter: Stories of Hearing God's Voice in Every Season of Life.

My work has also been published in Chicken Soup For the Coffee Lover's Soul, Chicken Soup For the Soul in Menopause, Tyndale's Mysteries of the Bible, A Passion For Jesus, Groovy Chicks Road Trip to Love, and Why Fret That God Stuff.

I am an adjunct faculty member of Imago Dei Bible Institute, a writer/editor for The Word For Today and Calvary Chapel Publishing, and a columnist for Christian Women Online.

When not writing or reading, I love to knit, cook/bake, and work in the garden.

Reviews

[Ember DeBoer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book over the weekend, and there were parts during it where I felt as though God was speaking to me directly. I related to the horrible feelings of the author: anger, bitterness, jealousy, and hatred and was at first skeptical that a woman who had endured 18+ years of infertility and 13 failed adoptions could still praise God and find peace. But she did. She surrendered everything to God and He gave her peace in lieu of the miracle she had been praying for for so many years. I loved the discussion questions at the end and the Bible verses. I have not flipped through the pages of my Bible like that in too many years. If this woman could find peace, I feel that there is hope for me to find it as well.

[Cora Welch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read no matter what you are struggling with.

[Heather Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I put this book in my to be read a long time ago. I think I thought it would be more about the use of fertility treatments(she did not do any) and I did not realize how much it would reference religious beliefs and thinking. This is NOT a bad thing. I just didn’t realize it. I really liked the story. It was a nice fast read. I did love hearing about their journey. It was mostly about adoption and the frustration that came with that process. Overall I did enjoy this book and the journey of this family.

[Ash Tull-Cochrane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to say that this book helped me in some way and I do not in anyway diminish her pain but here are my thoughts:

She was able to adopt (twice), she became a mother, no she wasn't able to pass on any part of herself physically but she is a mother to two babies.

She never explored any fertility treatments so for the most part I had nothing to relate too, most of this was her adoption journey which sounded absolutely devastating for what they went through. We looked into it but were in no way able to afford it.

I understood a lot of her feelings and thoughts through some of the process. I do not have faith like hers, mine is lost, I feel forgotten and angry. I haven't received any signs, and at this moment I refuse to believe that I am not meant to be a mother. That my hearts greatest desire will not be provided to me.

I'm so happy for her faith and for the family she was given.

I just don't understand my journey at this moment. I am reminded everyday of my barrenness....right now all I'm trying to do is survive and find what is left of my hope and above all understand why I was chosen to endure the greatest pain I've ever felt.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, my Pastor's wife wrote this book also. The topic of this book I could related to. It gave me encouragement and hope.=)