The Shelter Necklace

The Shelter Necklace - Gold, Silver, or Rose gold 16" women's necklace. Purchase available in a single or a set. Set includes the matching Men's stainless steel 24" wooden pendant. 10% of every sale goes to the Buster and Kristen Posey Fund supporting pediatric cancer research.
 
Early on in Hunter and Shelley Strickland's journey to become parents, they learned it may be difficult for them to conceive naturally. It is hard to describe the ache infertility has on the heart, unless it is a road you have also traveled. This is their story...
 
Month after month, the answer always seemed to be a resounding “no”. The best way we can describe the waiting period is like wandering around in the wilderness, unsure if, or when, you would ever emerge from the forest. It was during this time we stumbled upon the story of Hagar in Genesis, and how she also found herself in the “wilderness” searching for relief from her burdens. She has an experience with God and names him “the God who sees me”. 
During our 2.5 year wait to become parents, there were many times God reminded us that even when we feel lost in our wilderness, we are fully seen. We both love the word “shelter”, because it is our names put together. As we waited for our baby we clung to this word, for it is a beautiful reminder that God shelters us in His presence (Psalm 31:20).
 
In June 2016, we had our second failed IVF procedure, and were mentally and physically done. So, we decided to take a step back on pursuing a family and instead pursue God’s will for us. During this time, we had an “ah-ha” moment when we realized that maybe the wait had nothing to do with our timing. Maybe our child needed to be born at just the appointed time for his or her calling. Habakkuk 2 says that though your vision is delayed, wait for it, for surely it will come at the specified time. 
August 13, 2016, Hunter and I were shocked to learn that we were expecting. Her due date- April 16, 2017. We do not think it is a coincidence that she was due on the same date our journey together began, but is a reminder from God that He is the “God who sees us”. The symbol in our necklaces has two W’s, that represent the “wait in the wilderness”. They loop in the middle to make a sheltering structure, as a reminder that even in the wait, we are sheltered in His presence. Our prayer would be for any couple, or person, who finds themselves waiting in the wilderness for deliverance, that this piece would be a reminder that you are fully seen, never forgotten, and sheltered by grace.