Sarah was barren; she had no child’
Gen. 11:30

Sarah, is a story of infertility, one, which is very present in society today. It is hard to imagine how difficult it would have been for Sarah in a society where the major value that a woman had was her ability to produce a son.

How could Abraham father a nation with a baron wife? In her nineties she still had not conceived. She was still beautiful but that was not the value of a good woman. She needed to have a child.

Desperate she tried everything. In spite of G-d’s promise, in today’s language, she had a surrogate, which only caused emotional turmoil. This emotional turmoil is even evident today with the ongoing violence in the Middle East.
With modern technology there are many solutions to infertility. Women have had babies that are sexagenarians and it is possible to be even older. “Octomom” which has hit the news in recent times has fourteen children under the age of seven.  Done without the need for a man. Well almost.  Technology is changing so fast that it brings with it a whole set of new consideration.

Even though she had lost her faith – G-d was true to his promise and blessed her and Abraham with a child.  What seemed impossible to Sarah was not to G-d.  When Abraham was told of the child, he fell on the ground in laughter. That is why he named is son Isaac which means laughter. Perhaps Sarah’s laughter had originally been one of doubt.

As a small child I would sneak into a closet where my mother kept her medical book and pour over pictures of unborn babies. My mother had been a labour and delivery nurse and the pictures in the book fascinated me. I guess as an artist nothing goes to waste. Many times I find that even though I don’t understand it at the time, I can see where the images and choices I make as an artist come from. I am sure that is true as well with experiences in our live. We have experiences and knowledge which we accumulate over our lifetime which becomes intertwined with our personal choices and preferences. We are lead to where we are supposed to be by the things we are moved by. I always try to honour the things that stir me and move towards them whenever possible.

Sarah has given me a true understanding of what patience is. It can be tempting to try and take control over things that are out of our control but the outcomes are undesirable but if we wait, it can be much better that we could ever imagine.