Monday, July 12, 2004

Hard Sunday

Yesterday was a long, hard day. We found out before church that close friends had a miscarriage. She was 12 weeks along. I hurt for them. They have three precious children - 5, 4 and 2 1/2 and were so excited about having number 4. Many times I've heard Kathleen say, when asked why in the world would she want another baby, that she had a desire in her heart for one more child of her own.

Then, during our prayer time in our worship service it was announced that the husband of another family in our church has contracted Lyme's Disease. This family has so much on them and now this. I'm not going into the details, but it's a "Why God?" type situation . . . where I am literally crying out in my heart "What are you THINKING?"

Ephesians 3:13-21
Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

We thank you, Lord, and worship you with gladness;
We praise your name and lift our hearts in song;
For you are good, your love endures forever,
Your faithfulness continues all day long.
You've lavished us with every spiritual blessing;
We thank you, Lord, and praise you now in song.

God is good. Even when it is hard to say it, He still is.

2 comments:

  1. Oh Stephanie, I am soo sorry.... I too have a close friend who has suffered from not just one miscarriage but several. On top of that, she carried one baby to term and it died in utero, two days prior to the due date, from its cord getting twisted up. Such hard things.... However, God did bless them with naturally conceived twin boys, and a year and a half later a daughter.

    The only consolation I can offer, is this thought:

    Tragic things happen to all. However, if you did not believe in a God, how much worse to "know" that there is NO ONE that cares about your pain and has provided a way to heal it?

    Perhaps you know this poem....

    God did not promise sun without rain,
    light without darkness,
    or joy without pain.

    He only promised us strength for the day
    when the darkness comes
    and we lose our way.

    For only through sorrow
    do we grow more aware
    that God is our refuge
    in times of despair.

    For when we are happy
    and life's bright and fair,
    we often forget
    to kneel down in prayer.

    But God seems much closer
    and needed much more
    when trouble and sorrow
    stand outside our door.

    For then we seek shelter
    in His wondrous love
    and we ask Him to send us
    help from above.

    And that is the reason
    we know it is true
    that bright, shining hours
    and dark, sad ones, too,
    Are part of the plan
    God made for each one,
    and all we can pray is,
    "Thy will be done!"
    (Helen Steiner Rice)

    (Sorry this post is so long, but I couldn't bear to cut down the poem)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for your words. The poem is beautiful - I'm definitely going to have to save it somewhere. My sister also lost a baby at almost full term (8 months). It's just so hard to understand the "why" of it. I did get to go visit with my friends on Monday (with another girlfriend we loaded up our kids and went over to hang out for several hours). Her face was so peaceful and she was doing so well with it amazed me - a testimony of how God is walking with her through this completely.

    ReplyDelete

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