Speaking at conferences, writing books and carrying out interviews was all good and glamorous for Anne Calver. But her faith was being tested as she battled to have a baby.
She and husband Gavin, who is now the CEO of the Evangelical Alliance, had been married for several years and had setback after setback in their quest to become parents.
“We went through the first year and then the second year and I started to think this was never going to happen,” says Anne.
“We went for some tests and the doctors told us it was very unlikely that we could have any children.
That was a really difficult pill to swallow at the time.
“Yet weirdly the same month they said you are not going to have any children I actually got pregnant with our daughter, Amelie.
“Just before I gave birth to her, they discovered that I had antibodies in my system, and they said it doesn’t leave your system at any point, but we recommend that you don’t go on to have many more children.
“That was really difficult because I had hoped to have lots of children. Strangely, I fell pregnant again about ten months later. But we went on to lose the second and I had an operation to remove the baby. That was one of the most painful times for us… I felt quite fearful after that of trying again.”
After a few more years of grappling with this, Anne says God spoke to her very clearly about trying again.
“I really felt the Lord saying to me, ‘You’ve closed that door on parenting again, but I haven’t closed that door. I want you to open it again. I want you to look your fear in the face and I want you to open the door and try again.’
“So we began to try again and after literally one month we conceived. But when I went for an early scan at six weeks there were five antibodies that were in my system that were all attacking the new life inside of me.
Esta historia es de la edición January 2020 de Direction Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición January 2020 de Direction Magazine.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
‘Imagine Everyone On This Planet Is Your Equal'
David Beasley, Executive Director of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning UN World Food Programme, reveals the words his work is founded on
God Sets The Example Of Adoption...
Many people have ruled themselves out for fostering or adoption when the system would rule them in, explains Krish Kandiah
The Work Of Missionaries In Lockdown
When lockdown brought Ian and Katie Moore’s mission work in Macedonia to a halt, they used the time to seek a refined vision for reaching their local area. They told Chris Rolfe their story
How Nurse Helped Acid Attack Model Find Faith
Katie Piper explains how a life-changing incident changed her life in more ways than she expected as she recovered in hospital
Big Challenges Issued At Online Conference
Elim’s first online theological conference examines how our understanding of the ‘End Times’ shapes our view of mission
Lockdown in London deepened my faith
Living alone in London may not have been what he dreamed about, but Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic says it has driven him closer to God
The Really Good News about new initiative!
Elim’s new online mission programme could be the biggest evangelistic outreach we’ve ever done, says national evangelist Mark Greenwood. As we gear up for Easter, he gives the lowdown on the campaign
It's the gospel of liberation, not renovation
When Jesus was 30 he went to the prison of sin, and knocked on the door. Satan opened that little window and said, “What do you want?” Jesus told him: “I have come to set the captives free!” A sermon by the late Reinhard Bonnke
The mystery of Skull Hill
Skull Hill is a rocky hill rising just outside the north wall of Jerusa-lem, not far from the Damascus Gate. It was given that name because of the striking resemblance to a human skull appearing on the weather-beaten formation of its southern face.
A decade of mission
With an Easter evangelism programme, the Elim Leaders Summit and a renewed call to mission, General Superintendent Chris Cartwright outlines Elim’s plans for 2021 and beyond