Love Letter from our Creator

By Mary Bruno

When you hear “NFP,” what do you think of? Is it Catholic birth control or a waste of time? Is it something that has been healthy for your marriage or helpful for your health? Maybe you don’t think of it at all. Regardless of your present perception of natural family planning, I have a proposition for you and how you view one of God’s many perfect designs. 

God’s design of our bodies is not just incredible and useful. It’s creative. A woman’s fertility is particularly impressive because every action has an important purpose. Many of these actions have significant benefits to the overall health of the woman and to the potential human being that her body prepares to create with every single cycle. 

Part of this intelligent design is to communicate information to us. Our external observations – whether temperature, hormone surge, mucus, etc. – are an excellent indication of what’s happening internally. This design is intentional and it is worth taking note of. 

The Theology of the Body teaches us that our bodies speak a language of love and reveal some of the mystery of God. Husband and wife’s sacred embrace is not just something they do, but is something they communicate. This strengthens their bond and unites them, enhancing their ability to bear fruit into the world. 

Sometimes that fruit comes in the form of a child, which he entrusts to be nurtured by the body of the woman. Her body is a profound creation of which God has equipped with its very own language, communicated to us through NFP/fertility awareness – a generous gift to humanity from God himself.

So, I propose that the primary purpose of NFP, or Fertility Awareness, is health. And the incredible ability to identify a woman’s fertile window is a natural extension and automatic benefit of this primary knowledge.

You can’t fully understand the menstrual cycle and not appreciate that understanding as a contribution to every woman and marriage. 

In my opinion, to deny the gift of fertility awareness is to also deny, in part, the very beauty of God. NFP/fertility awareness transcends religion, age, cycle condition and marital status to foster a healthy understanding and appreciation of God’s creation.

Understanding our fertility is like reading a love letter from our creator. He has not built an advanced system and hidden the instructions. He invites us to step into his design and be a part of his handiwork. Accept all the benefits that come along with fertility awareness as a gift from love himself.