God's plans

Before the week is over, I wanted to link to the USCCB's resource page on this year's NFP Awareness Week, which falls during the anniversary of the release of Humanae Vitae. They have a lot of great information about natural family planning itself and what the Church teaches about contraception, married love, and openness to life, and also have testimonials from couples practicing NFP and resources on where to learn more about it. The best summary there I saw was that NFP is "unique because it enables its users to work with the body rather than against it. Fertility is viewed as a reality to live, not a problem to be solved."

Instead of viewing fertility as a threat, or a woman's problem to address, or an obstacle to be overcome, with NFP it is treated as a natural part of a marital relationship that should be integral part of a couple's communication on responsible family decisions -- whether trying to achieve or avoid pregnancy as you go through different life stages. It can be challenging to live out at times (and we'll soon be heading into the less certain period again of postpartum fertility awareness, which I admitted here last year was freaking me out a little) but it really can be rewarding. Knowing that you are on the same page with openness to life -- or revisiting the subject on a regular basis to strive to be on that same page -- is hugely beneficial to a relationship. Plus, for women, I think it is great to give us greater awareness of our own bodies. I had no idea on a lot of it until I took the classes before marriage. Every woman is different but NFP teaches tools to figure out what's going on with your own body and sometimes can alert to health or fertility problems that might have gone undetected otherwise.  No matter what, it gives you regular cause to reflect and pray on what God's plan for your marriage is and how you can seek the grace to be open to that plan.