Saturday, September 5, 2009

Thoughts about Life

It is strange to realize that it was 7 years ago this past July when I had a miscarriage and Hannah went to be with the Lord. Even now, my heart cries in sadness when I hear about friends who have miscarried.

As a mom of 3 now, I often lose sight of the wonderful gifts each of my children are. I get caught up in the busyness and stress of everything that needs to get done. I want to enjoy them and love them well!

I wanted to read Letters to Darcy, a new book that will be coming out in December in the hope that it would remind me how much I love my children and remind me to cherish each one of them each day.

Letters to Darcy is a book that is the collection of blog entries (a diary of sorts) that Tracy Ramos wrote to her daughter, Darcy, when she was in her womb and during her short life. Her daughter had Trisomy 18.

I think I was expecting a book that would be written to adults, but that is not what this book is. Step inside the shoes of a 6 or 7 year old and imagine your mother speaking to you. That is how Tracy Ramos wrote in her entries--her entries are simple in language and description, because that is how as a mom I speak to my children--in words they can understand.

About 6 months after my miscarriage, I read a wonderful book called Empty Arms by Pam Vredvelt. God used it to encourage me and help me heal the pain in my heart. This is a similar sort of book, but it is different. Empty Arms is a practical, Biblical book aimed at helping women understand the truth about their miscarriages, infertility, and losses. Letters to Darcy is one mom's story of her journey through a hard pregnancy, fearful days, and the life of her family. I think it is so important to know that we are not alone! That God will help us through the pain we are going through. And I think that Tracy Ramos and her husband's example through her writing will be (and have already been) an encouragement to others. They personally struggled in their marriage. It is hard on both husband's and wives to go through the loss of a child, though it affects them differently.

To me, this is not a book about why one should or should not be pro-life or why one should or should not trust God. This book is the story of one mom's journey through the joy and pain of loving a child--and it is an important one for moms who are on a similar journey to hear. They are not alone and God will get them through this.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
--Psalm 23, NIV

1 comment:

Melissa said...

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