The post Draw my Life || The Story God is Writing in ME appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
Most of us will go through some pretty tough times at some point in our lives. Before I shared my story, I didn’t realize the power and healing it would have.
Your story, my story is a gift from God to draw others to Jesus.
God is writing a GREAT masterpiece.. He is writing the stories of our lives! And we are all currently walking through different chapters and different seasons.
In Paul Tripp’s book, New Morning Mercies, he says…
“Every turn He writes into your story is RIGHT.
Every twist in the plot is for the BEST.
Every new chapter or unexpected event is a tool of His GRACE.
Each new chapter advances His PURPOSES.”
He is writing a story in my own life…here’s a quick synopsis:
✍️
The chapters start all the way in Arizona
to end up in TN🛣. From growing up, finding Jesus to my first job at @crackerbarrel 
. Then going to college at @leeuniversity to marrying Jake, moving to SC where we both finished our degrees
, him at @shermancollege and I went to the university SC-upstate… where we had a couple babies. After graduating moving to TN where we found ⛪ @foothillschurchtn & are still part of it after 8+ years. After waiting and trusting God, we opened @victoryhealthcenter !! Experienced loss but all along the way knowing the Lord had a plan. 
Later had a couple more babies all while starting homeschooling. And even still after 13 years of marriage
, I still am in as much love as I was with Jake as when I first met him at that @leeuflames 
basketball game
. And in this current chapter of heartbreaking loss of another miscarriage
, I find comfort knowing the God has a a plan and it is GOOD! 
If you’re current chapter is hard, find comfort in knowing you’re not alone and that the Lord is with you. (I’m having to constantly remind myself as I walk this chapter out) ❤️
Here’s a link to my DRAW MY LIFE Story!
The post Draw my Life || The Story God is Writing in ME appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post Five Books to Read During Seasons of Grief appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
Tomorrow is one month since I gave birth to my son.
Except it was not the joy-through-pain experience that I have had three times before. This time my baby was born stillborn at twenty-two weeks. Wholly unexpected and wholly devastating.
We have experienced a lot of emotions over the past month, of course. Our children are young, so they can switch from being sad their brother is gone to waging transformer battles in the living room rather easily. But the grief is still fresh for my husband and me.
Last week, our family was blessed to have the opportunity to spend a week in a cabin in the mountains.
There was no connecting with the outside world in the cabin, there was minimal housework to be done, and two days before our trip I had cooked or prepped all of our food for the entire week. Furthermore, our cabin was atop the steepest driveway I’ve had the pleasure struggle to walk up, so leaving the cabin by foot wasn’t something I wanted to do more than once a day.
All this time without responsibilities and distractions left us with a lot of time to read. My husband and I read MANY books out loud to our kids. We also read many books early in the morning before our kids woke, during the day while they played, and in the evening after bedtime routines and chatting with each other. (No television, no cell service, no wi-fi, remember?).
The week turned out to be as restorative as we had hoped it would be. So much quiet and so many good books were balm to our grieving hearts and minds.
Reading While You Grieve
These are the books and words in which I have personally found comfort, rest, and help. This list is no where near exhaustive, but hopefully it will give you an idea of what to turn to during hard days of grief. I would also recommend each of these as a thoughtful gift idea for a friend or family member you know is going through a difficult time. Please just remember to tell the recipient that there is no expectation for what she does with the book. Each person grieves according to her own timetable and some of these books are better at different times.
1. Hymns
During the early days, the first couple of weeks, after my son passed away I did not do much reading. The pain was too fresh and I was too weary from the shock and the tears. I honestly did not even feel like reading my Bible much. Truly, I didn’t touch many books, if any.
What was helpful, though, were hymns. Listening to music rich with truth and sweet comfort was a gift. I could easily turn on an album of hymns and feel like I was being pointed to God and washed over with His grace and mercy.
I have been known to just sit down with my mom’s old hymnal and just read hymns. You should try it.
If you don’t have a hymnal at home (or for the times I just don’t want to get it out), I use this online hymnal. It’s also a part of my favorite band‘s website, so you can listen to most of the hymns there too.
2. The Bible
Eventually, I did begin to open the Bible again early in the morning with a cup of strong black coffee and my journal and pen. While reading was hard initially, turning to God’s word is essential to finding true and lasting hope, comfort, and perspective.
The Psalms, of course, are a great place to start. I am also reading through the book of Job and planning to use commentary on Job
3. Streams in the Desert
A dear friend of mine who also lost her baby too early gifted me with this book. Before she gave me the book, though, she sat with me for hours and sipped coffee while we shared tears, stories, and laughter. Both the time and the book were priceless gifts.
Streams in the Desert was written by a lady who cared for her dying husband for years. She knows grief. The devotional is full of daily passages, each offering a five minute reading of Biblical comfort.
4. The Hardest Peace
I would recommend this book to EVERYONE, whether you are currently grieving or not.
Kara Tippetts was a mother of four who battled cancer in many forms over and over and over again. She graciously shared her story on her blog and then in this book. It is a story of struggle, of hard things, and of MUCH GRACE. Her words drip with kindness and wisdom and there is so much that we can all glean.
It is a life-changing book. It was also one of the most helpful books I have read in my grief. A harmony of beauty and pain.
5. Anchored: Finding Hope in the Unexpected
I purchased this book just hours after we saw the heartbreaking ultrasound’s stillness. I had heard of the book and listened to the author (Kayla Aimee) share her story of how her daughter was born unexpectedly at twenty-five weeks on several podcasts.
I knew it was one I wanted to read and thought that her story would be helpful in the midst of mine. But Kayla’s story is one that ended in life, and at first this was too hard for me to read.
Last week in the mountains, though, I did read her story. And I’m so glad I did.
Kayla went through months of grief and despair as she watched her tiny daughter suffer and fight for life. All the while Kayla was suffering and fighting for faith. Her battle to trust God in the hardest time of her life and her discovery that no matter what, God would remain faithful, was exactly what I needed to read.
I truly hope that one or more of these books is helpful to you. If you are in a season of grief, I wish I could cry together with you and listen to your story or simply to the quiet if words are hard to come by. Most of all, I hope that you are able to find true comfort and rest in the Father of all comfort and in Jesus, the One who knows the deepest grief and pain and who can walk alongside us in ours.
Is there a book that you would recommend that has been helpful during a difficult time in your life?
The post Five Books to Read During Seasons of Grief appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post How to Find Heart Strength When Pain Sears Deep appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
Written by Karen @ To Work With My Hands, Contributing Writer
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’ ” (Lamentations 3:21-24, ESV)
The familiar pink line confirmed what I had already suspected: we were expecting our tenth baby.
I was excited to see it again because I knew that it could possibly be the last time I would. At 41, the season of new babies couldn’t last much longer.
We shared the news with our children, braced for the reaction we would get from friends and family, and began preparing for another 8 months of waiting.
As the sixth week approached, I honestly dreaded what was coming – the sudden and dramatic fatigue, loss of appetite, endless sleepiness…all the while continuing to homeschool, keep a home, and navigate the next two months of holiday celebrations and travel, and the birthdays of 5 of our children.
The sixth week came, and passed, but nothing changed. I decided to be grateful for strength to persevere through our busiest time of year, but the nagging worries began to mount.
Frequent checkups with my doctor showed that everything was progressing well, but that I had placenta previa – again. My doctor had told me with the previous pregnancy that it would likely be the case for any future ones as well since I had had so many.
By God’s grace it had resolved during the 20th week, and I had been able to deliver our daughter without a caesarean. I decided that it was nothing to lose sleep over this early in the pregnancy.
It wasn’t the previa that worried my doctor either, but the blood clot that was discovered during the latest ultrasound. Since I was still early in the pregnancy, there would be nothing he could do if I began to bleed. I would certainly miscarry. I took that worry home on a Friday morning, and waited, adding to the uneasy feeling over why I didn’t “feel” pregnant.
Several weeks passed, the blood clot dissolved, and it seemed like things were going to be just fine. We looked forward with excitement to the day of the revealing ultrasound.
It was a choice we had not made with most of our children, but with the last two we had decided to learn the gender of our new baby before birth. We would do it again this time.
My husband held our youngest – our only daughter – in his arms as the technician rolled the wand over my growing belly. And then we saw – our new baby was another boy. Beautiful, complete, heart pumping – there he was for our eyes to see!
We had hoped that perhaps we could have one more little girl – a sweet companion for our daughter – but God had other plans. Within hours we had adjusted and began to imagine our new little boy in our family, being “mothered” twice, and having so many big brothers to learn from. Our youngest son was especially excited that he would get to have a baby brother.
More time passed, and I still felt fine. My husband continued to encourage me not to worry, and to be grateful for the grace. We had seen him, he was growing, the scare of the blood clot was gone, and I had passed mid-term.
It was time to get ready for the most challenging part of the pregnancy – the growing bulk and dealing with the increasingly painful varicose veins that had continued to get more severe with each pregnancy.
It was springtime and our attention was more and more pulled outdoors. One particularly nice day, I decided to build a new flowerbed around a tree that was right outside the kitchen window. The younger boys were riding their bikes and playing, and one of them stopped by to visit with me.
He told me that he was excited that the new baby was a boy and was looking forward to teaching “Gabriel” all of his favorite boy things. We had not officially chosen a name yet, but Gabriel was one we had considered.
I smiled, and getting lost in thought as I took in the beauty of the flowers and the crisp, fresh air, I imagined along with him what it would be like while tumbling the name around in my head.
I posed with our daughter for a picture together in front of the white-adorned bridal wreath bushes – a tradition we had begun two years earlier just after her birth. This year, I sported a swollen belly with her baby brother tucked inside. The spring season was beautiful.
On a bright and warm Sunday afternoon, Tony and the boys decided to take the boat to the river for a ride. Hannah was napping, so I decided to pull out my card-making supplies and work on some new cards. It was perfect. The guys could enjoy the gorgeous afternoon, and I could do something that I enjoyed for a while in the quiet house.
It was very quiet. As I sat at the table with the papers and supplies scattered all around, I had a sudden and startling thought: When did I last feel the baby move? I couldn’t honestly remember. I was annoyed with myself for not being more aware, and purposed to pay closer attention.
An hour passed – nothing. Two – nothing.
By the time everyone returned home, I was getting edgy. Tony encouraged me to relax and just wait – Sundays were busy with all the preparations of getting to church, the activity of worship, lunch and fellowship, getting home, settling Hannah in for a nap – I probably just didn’t notice.
We went to bed and still – nothing. I lay awake in the dark nudging my belly from every side, moving, getting up and eating yogurt, walking – nothing. It was dark and quiet, everyone was asleep, and I began to feel a surge of panic.
It was then that I remembered. I remembered something that had recently happened to me. For the previous week or so I had woke each and every day with one particular hymn running through my mind. It may have been a while since I had heard it, but it was one I had been familiar with since childhood: “He Leadeth Me”.
Why was this on my mind every single morning as I woke?
I mentally went through the verses, focusing on the words and wondering. It was a long and restless night.
The next morning I called my doctor with concerns and made an appointment for yet another ultrasound. I still had not felt the baby move, and my mind was drawing frightening conclusions.
We walked into the dim room again and I made my way to that familiar table. She was kind and friendly, and I wondered if she knew. Did she know why I was having this particular ultrasound? Did she know what she might have to say to us? I began to feel uncomfortable for her.
Her eyes scanned the screen that we could not yet see and I watched them with piercing focus. I saw it in her eyes before she said a word. The hot tears began to spill and wet the crisp white paper underneath me.
She looked at me with the most sincere compassion and uttered the words, “I’m sorry.”
“Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom”
I was numb. The disbelief mingled with pain and an unbelievable sadness. Why? What had happened? Why had we ridden this roller coaster of worry and peace only to finally end up here?
“Do you want to see him?”
“Yes.”
We gazed at his still form – perfect, complete, right there inside of me – he was gone, but still there. My mind was struggling to make sense of it all.
My doctor was gentle, kind – our friend who had delivered our last two babies and prayed with us before the deliveries, chatted over Scripture during visits and genuinely loved The Lord. It was a comfort.
He explained that according to state law – because I was beyond 20 weeks pregnant – I would have to deliver the baby in the hospital. Official records. Mortuary. How did we want to handle the body?…The words all felt surreal. I wasn’t processing it all. State Law? Official Records? This was our baby! How did the state belong here???
Tears. Hot, bitter tears. “Oh God, Help us!”
We walked into the hospital on Friday afternoon. My bag was light. My heart was heavy. My strength was gone. My God was there!
“Sometimes where Eden’s bower’s bloom,”
It was a delivery like none I had known before. No rush of activity in the room. No bright lights and happy chatter from nurses. It was a quiet, still night as the drug slowly dripped into my vein and the contractions began.
The doctor was finally called just before daybreak. He sat gingerly on the edge of my bed and waited. This was so different. My gaze fell upon the bassinet sitting cold in the dark corner. It wasn’t wheeled under heat lamps this time. It wouldn’t be filled.
I delivered his tiny, still body. All was calm and quiet. No bright lights. No flutter of activity, no music of happy chatter. It was done.
“Do you want to see him? Do you want to hold him?”
“Yes”
For one gentle hour I held him as my grieving husband watched beside me with a helplessness he had never known before. There was nothing he could do to fix this. Gabriel’s tender body fit in my hands and I gazed at his beautiful form. Our son.
“By waters still, o’er troubled sea”
On Sunday morning we left the hospital, picked up our children from a friend’s house, and drove the hour home. What now? How would I know how to take the next step? How would I find joy again when the pain was so searing?
Days upon days I cried. But, an amazing things was happening. I was not alone. I was tenderly shown the way to take another step, to swallow a bite of food, to turn a gentle smile toward one of the children without feeling the choke of crazed insensitivity. God was carrying me, carrying us through the pain.
It’s difficult to explain just how it worked. But, it did. I knew it. I felt it. He kept the blood coursing through my veins and the legs moving under me. He ministered to my heart with tender mercies that I had never known before. I was a helpless infant in the arms of my loving Father.
“Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me”
We held a memorial service for our son, Gabriel Enoch, a couple of weeks later. It was a small affair, attended by our family and closest friends. Beautiful words of grace were spoken, tender expressions of love were wrapped in gentle and meaningful hugs, and we remembered the short, yet powerful life of our tiny son.
And one of the hymns we sang that day rang strong and deep in my soul, “He Leadeth Me”. Yes, He had.
Did I understand? No. Did I ever ask for such pain? No. Did I believe that My God had a purpose beyond my understanding and that He loves me beyond my comprehension? Yes.
A beautiful red rosebush grows and blooms each spring in our garden – a gift from my husband’s parents after the memorial service. And with it, a small plaque with these simple words: Gabriel Enoch King, April 24, 2010. The words have slowly faded, but his memory remains strong and alive, and the tender mercies of my Father impress upon my heart just how good He is.
I can truly say I am grateful. I am grateful for the experience of walking the deepest, darkest path I have ever known. I am grateful for His mercy, His love, His compassion. I am grateful that He knew the purpose, even though I didn’t understand. Yes, He leads me – still.
He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Sometimes ‘mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.
Refrain: He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
Three more precious children were added to our family after Gabriel – and lost to early miscarriages. Along with a first miscarriage in 1997, we have 5 precious children with The Lord. We look forward to the day we will meet them.
If you are going through a time of deepest gloom, let Him Leadeth you, he is the Comforter.
The post How to Find Heart Strength When Pain Sears Deep appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post Seeing the Death of Jesus Through the Loss of a Child appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
Written by Karli @ Feed Me Mama, Contributing Writer
About 18 months ago, I lost my first baby. We had been trying to get pregnant for about a year, and we were completely and utterly shocked when our first ultrasound revealed that there was no heartbeat. Devastated doesn’t begin to convey the roller coaster of emotions that swept my family in the coming months. I couldn’t image a good reason for this pain- what would the Lord do with this loss? Could he be glorified in the midst of my sorrow? I had so many questions swirling in my mind…
Many years ago, a woman named Mary lost her beloved first son. Her situation was very different from mine- she wasn’t trying to get pregnant, and her entire relationship and parenting of this son was full of trial and questioning from those around her. But she loved her son with the desperate love of a mother, and watched Him die a horrific death that he didn’t deserve- a death that was meant for the worst of criminals, though he was found faultless.
Can you imagine Mary’s pain on this day? Watching your innocent child die a death they don’t deserve? Maybe, like me, you know a little bit of what that pain feels like. Maybe you’ve had to grieve the loss of a child before- whether a miscarriage, an infant, or an older son or daughter. The pain is the same- there are no words.
As we reflect on Easter, and contemplate the heart of Mary, we can take great comfort in the way that the source of Mary’s personal grief and sorrow, the death of her beloved son, was used for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Just as the death of Jesus was used by the Father for the ultimate good of all humanity, so will He use the loss of my baby for the advancement of His Kingdom.
Does it still hurt? Yes, it does. I am sure that Mary went through an intense time of grief after seeing her son die in such a gruesome manner.
Am I allowed to be angry? Sure. The loss of a child at any point is devastating. It doesn’t seem fair to anyone- just as the death of Jesus wasn’t fair at all.
If you and your family have experienced a loss, know that you are not alone. You grieve the same grief of Mary, and so many other mothers before and since. The beauty of how the Lord works is that, even through our pain, we can have hope through our grief. We can know that the Lord is working, because he uses even the worst pain, even the most unfair of situations, for His glory.
What did you take comfort in during a time of grief?
The post Seeing the Death of Jesus Through the Loss of a Child appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post When Dreams are Shattered appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>I waited, waited, waited to see 2 pink lines, and as short as the long wait was, they were there.
Two lines that represented my heart’s longing, to be a mother to baby once again. My heart overfilled with joy at the sight.
My two now, growing up but not too grown up, past the baby and toddler years. Now into puzzles, learning to spell b-a-t, and oh the argumentative bliss of a 5 year old boy and 3 year old girl. Excited. Excited to see them as a big brother and sister to another sweet baby.
Then it came, the crimson color we fret to see after we’ve seen those 2 pink lines. Worry. Doubt. Fear filled my heart, but I clung, clung to the hope, for what if God could save my heart from this ache that I had experienced months earlier.
But, God did not, He did not save me from this ache of loss. Why, oh God? … I screamed in my heart. My dream crushed, for what was the purpose, I clung to that defeat for months.
There is no right or wrong answer. I know I was focusing more on that dream than God’s will. God’s will becomes clear when we unravel our tight grip onto our dreams and lay them at His feet.
“Seven years ago my dream died and I discovered once all the noise faded away what I had been missing all along,” he said. “The impact that God has planned for us does not occur when we are pursuing impact. It occurs when we are pursuing God.” –Veggie Tales Creator Phil Vischer
I know what loss feels like, especially during the holidays. It just doesn’t seem fair does it? The ones who have lost precious babies, or even sweet innocent children like this past week in Connecticut due to a horrific tragedy. The ones who’s husband’s have decided to leave. Maybe you didn’t get that promotion or you went all out and failed. Whatever it is, it’s hard when dreams are shattered.
What do we do when our dreams are shattered?
I’m no expert but these things helped me:
Prayer
No amount of time in prayer is ever enough. Being in prayer about my hurts and burdens was how I got through this. I often prayed a prayer called the worriers prayer. Goes something like this:
Time to Reflect
Reflecting on experiences is how we grow. Still to this day, even though it’s been months (and even a year) I am reflecting on how God has used these circumstances for His glory, my deepened growth with my relationship with Him and to help others. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8
I’m not to Blame
Nothing you did caused your dreams to shatter, God wasn’t mad at you nor did he want to punish you. Sometimes things happen. God is full of grace, mercy and love. “Nothing can separate us from his love.” Romans 8:39
Learning to Trust again
This is hard but a must. You see, we never had control in the first place. He is always in control but sometimes we think we are in the diver’s seat of life. Laying hurts down at His feet, letting Him lift the burden and aligning yourself in His will is how to learn to trust again. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
What are you struggling with, what are you not laying at His feet? Are you willing to pursue God over your heart’s dreams?
The post When Dreams are Shattered appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post Loss and Hope appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
These are some hard things about losing a baby I am feeling/going through:
- I have had to delete the iphone apps about the baby’s growth
- As much as you WANT and need friends and families hugs and comfort, it’s hard to hold back the tears when they’re comforting you face to face (don’t stop though!)
- The “how are you doing?” questions… for me I am physically doing fine, no pain but I am just doing ok… so vague
- Thinking about when the baby would have been born, for me with 2 losses, this August and December
- I’m no longer needing the maternity clothes I have been thinking about wearing
- I’m closing the dream (for now anyhow) of having a homebirth in my bedroom this year
- I’m no longer needing to get out the newborn clothes that are packed up that I was excited about getting out
- Seeing the movie ads on TV, when I had previously been thinking, oh I’ll be ____ far along, but no longer will be that far along
- Crying about declining a glass of wine because “I am not supposed to be able to have that now”
- Feeling guilty for thinking about being able to do things like whitewater rafting, working out or even going on rides at a theme park… now that there aren’t risks anymore
I wrote this to a couple of blog friends and wanted to share some of their sweet replies.
“I Never experienced any cramping (yet anyways except mild cramping for about 15 minutes in early morning the other day when I was half asleep which felt like gas cramps) I am still very sad but feeling much better emotionally somewhat, have ups and downs even as I write this, like I can laugh and it’s ok but writing that makes me want to cry, dunno why. I shook my head a couple times earlier today… was thinking about that what could have been baby and would shake my head, I guess somewhat is sadness, being mad, thinking oh well not happening, etc…. in the midst of it all, I DO believe God has something great for me and to come “out of this” but still hard to understand the WHY… the why I will never get. Today was my first day back to work and many patients hugged me, told me they were praying, etc, at times made me what to cry. (my husband who was alone at office all last week made announcements letting them know what was up… just like kids can sense something wrong so can they, btw, we never told our kids just in case) I so badly want to hold another baby in my arms, experience a homebirth, grow our family and don’t understand why this is happening, why others who abort perfect babies, why women on drugs and alcohol get to have babies, people who hurt their babies, etc… why did I have to lose a baby… again….. Sorry crying now.”
“We had dinner with some friends over this past week who have been trying to get pregnant for years. Over that time, they have actually become pregnant twice, but both pregnancies ended in miscarriage. They know about my miscarriages too, and we talked about it a lot. It doesn’t matter if you have kids, don’t have kids, want more, or aren’t planning more, a miscarriage is always a terrible thing to go through. And it doesn’t make sense at all why those who don’t (or won’t) take care of their babies are able to have them, and others like us and my other friends seem to get our babies that are wanted so badly taken from us. To be honest it just doesn’t seem fair. But, even though it is so hard to believe sometimes and we may never know the why, I know that God is in control and that He has a plan. I know that you believe that too, Rachel. That certainly doesn’t take away the pain though. I’m sending constant prayers your way for peace and comfort that only God can give.” -Mindy
“I have the same questions, Rachel. It’s certainly very difficult to watch and experience. I’ve never miscarried. Samuel is my only pregnancy, so I can only imagine what it must truly feel like. :-/ But we know the truths of God’s Word and His Word is trustworthy. I have friends who are getting pregnant left and right and in no way am I bitter at them … but I do wonder why not me? Sometimes. It’s natural, normal, and all part of being human. There’s comfort in that.Lean into Him sweet one. Lean into Him.” – Leigh Ann
“Big hugs for you today! I don’t have any answers for your questions, but I know God loves you and cares deeply for you and has a plan even for this. Praying for you today!” -Anne
“Praying for you daily, Rachel! I know the Lord will use this (and He already has), but I wish with all my heart you didn’t have to go through it! -Erin
“I am praying for you too…I wish we could understand the big picture…but think it would be too much for us to handle!” -Nikki
Sometimes you don’t know what to say or do to someone hurting from losing a baby, I certainly didn’t know before going through this.
Here are 5 things to comfort someone going through a pregnancy loss:
- Let her know you are thinking about her in some way, a more subtle way is to write a hand written note or send flowers but any reaching out will be fine
- Make her a dinner, I had a couple friends do this and it was so very nice
- Pray with her not just for her, so much power in that!
- Sit with her, talk about whatever she wants to, be a shoulder to cry on
- If you don’t know what to say or do read this, it will help you with what to say and to avoid what NOT to say!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
The post Loss and Hope appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post Going through Something I Never thought I’d have to… Again appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>I’m sitting at the pharmacy as I write this, a place our family NEVER comes. Never once have I filled a prescription for my husband, my kids, or myself in the past 5 years. This is against everything I want to do!
However, it is an emergency since my baby, who is in heaven safe and sound, is an ectopic pregnancy and is life threatening to me if left untreated.
It is very hard for me to have to bring this drug back to the obgyn office in a few minutes to get injected with chemicals with who knows what side effects all to help remove the fetal tissue in my fallopian tube. This is a trial I never wanted.
Venting my sadness, confusion and anger. Which is very acceptable if you have ever been in my shoes. And crying as I walk through the Walgreen’s. Some how going through this I will get stronger and lean the the Lord even more than I ever have.
I do know there is an end to the sorrow, not to ever forget the hope of this baby I lost and the hurt that goes along with that but an end to the lasting pain, and the joy and peace that only the Lord can only fill in my heart… If I let him and if you let Him of you are in some kind of sorrow.
He is our healer through all physical or emotional pain! I am NOT ALONE, He is with me! Here is a song that gives me comfort to know He will pick me up and catch me when I feel like I cannot go on and even through the pain that carries on in my heart, He is my HOPE!
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” James 1:2-3
The post Going through Something I Never thought I’d have to… Again appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>The post The Lord is My Comforter appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>
“We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
As I am writing this I am losing our baby. We just found out on Saturday we were expecting. The moment I saw the positive pregnancy test my heart grew in love for this new baby on the way. My mind already began preparing… thinking is this a boy or girl? How will Lincoln and Julia respond? My husband and I were shocked, yet excited about the most wonderful news.
On Tuesday I began spotting which lead to where I am now. This is one of the most saddest things I have ever gone through. I am grieving and my husband and I are mourning in different ways but are trying to be there for one another.
I know some of you may have gone through this as well and I am not one to hide things inside, I need prayer and support.
I watched this video today which gave me a little peace:
“God is our refuge and strength, and very present help in time of need.” Psalm 46:1
The post The Lord is My Comforter appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
]]>