Jesse Lives With Jesus

My dear friend, Valerie Creech has been writing about her miscarriage story on her blog Together at Home. I encourage you to read it. Just for a taste, here's how she titled her story:

The title Jesse Lives with Jesus comes from the mouth of my 3 year old. Marcy, Miriam and I were riding in the van recently. We had just pulled out on to the road from our house when Miriam began to speak of Jesse.

She asked me, "Mommy, does Jesse live with Jesus?"

"Yes, Miriam. Jesse lives with Jesus."

"Is Jesus taking care of Jesse?"

"Yes, baby. Jesus is taking care of Jesse."

Thank you Miriam for the pleasant and comforting reminder... "Jesse lives with Jesus." One day, I will see my precious babies. 2 Samuel
12:23

Read the rest of it here: Part 2 Part 3

Real Encouragement

Tonight in our family devotions, my husband read us the July 19th Morning entry (yes, I know it's the 18th, but we are reading in conjunction with our son who is in Asia this summer and the evening of the 18th is the morning of the 19th for him) of Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. It ministered to me so much that I wanted to share it with you:

“The Lord our God hath shewed us his glory.”
Deuteronomy 5:24
God’s great design in all his works is the manifestation of his own glory. Any aim less than this were unworthy of himself. But how shall the glory of God be manifested to such fallen creatures as we are? Man’s eye is not single, he has ever a side glance towards his own honour, has too high an estimate of his own powers, and so is not qualified to behold the glory of the Lord. It is clear, then, that self must stand out of the way, that there may be room for God to be exalted; and this is the reason why he bringeth his people ofttimes into straits and difficulties, that, being made conscious of their own folly and weakness, they may be fitted to behold the majesty of God when he comes forth to work their deliverance. He whose life is one even and smooth path, will see but little of the glory of the Lord, for he has few occasions of self-emptying, and hence, but little fitness for being filled with the revelation of God. They who navigate little streams and shallow creeks, know but little of the God of tempests; but they who “do business in great waters,” these see his “wonders in the deep.” Among the huge Atlantic-waves of bereavement, poverty, temptation, and reproach, we learn the power of Jehovah, because we feel the littleness of man. Thank God, then, if you have been led by a rough road: it is this which has given you your experience of God’s greatness and lovingkindness. Your troubles have enriched you with a wealth of knowledge to be gained by no other means: your trials have been the cleft of the rock in which Jehovah has set you, as he did his servant Moses, that you might behold his glory as it passed by. Praise God that you have not been left to the darkness and ignorance which continued prosperity might have involved, but that in the great fight of affliction, you have been capacitated for the outshinings of his glory in his wonderful dealings with you.

Charles Spurgeon

Morning and Evening

Morning, July 19th

Hope!

I called this blog "Hope in Miscarriage" because nearly everything I saw on the net seemed so sad and hopeless, so many stories seemed so angry and bitter. I needed a light! A path to get through this! Hope!

As the Lord walked with me through this valley of death, I began to see what the Psalmist was talking about:

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.

And I realized what I was seeing in so many places on the net was the despair of grief for those who truly had no hope. I don't know how they live through it. I don't think I'm strong enough to endure these trials without the hope of heaven and the fellowship of Christ.

’Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

And to take Him at His Word;

Just to rest upon His promise,

And to know, “Thus says the Lord!”

Refrain

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more!

O how sweet to trust in Jesus,J

ust to trust His cleansing blood;

And in simple faith to plunge me

’Neath the healing, cleansing flood!

Refrain

Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just from sin and self to cease;

Just from Jesus simply taking

Life and rest, and joy and peace.

Refrain

I’m so glad I learned to trust Thee,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend;

And I know that Thou art with me,

Wilt be with me to the end.

Refrain

Dear friends, don't try to walk this path alone. It is beyond our ability. Our Father in heaven laid His own Son, innocent and holy, in a grave in the prime of life. He knows our pain. We can not be good enough to deserve His favor or forgiveness. We break His Law all the time. Have you taken a look at the Ten Commandments recently? There is not one of us that has not envied someone or dishonored our parents or taken the Lord's name in vain. We are all guilty - condemned, but His love has found a way - the death of His own Son. Surely those of us reading this blog understand to some small degree the sacrifice of love God gave when He directed His wrath to His Son Jesus Christ instead of us. He calls us to repent and believe. There is nothing better you can do in this trial - in all of life - then to put your faith in Him who will never forsake you!

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!
How I’ve proved Him o’er and
o’er
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!

Let me tell you this is true! I have proved Him again and again. He will never leave you or forsake you!

Is there a reason to wait on a D&C?

Around here, the typical scenario is to recommend an immediate D&C if ultrasound shows no heartbeat. (Thank you, Dr. Marzbani for not doing that!). I am very concerned about women rushing to D&C, though, because it leaves no room for errors in ultrasound interpretion, weird uterine structure that hides the baby, a late conception and other reasons an inevitable miscarriage can be misdiagnosed even by a very good doctor.

In searching for more information about that, I found a great site that you ought to visit before you schedule a D&C: The Misdiagnosed Miscarriage Site That way, if you do have a miscarriage, you won't have any regrets. There is a very good forum with lots of helpful information about the different options.

A Speck of Light - Is it the end of the tunnel??

Well, dear patient friends, I have been without my closest companion - a sanitary pad for 2 days now! I can hardly believe it - it's been 11 weeks. I am sort of glad I didn't know it would take this long in the beginning because I think I would have despaired. The last several weeks were not heavy, just very light, but still. I am thoroughly sick of dealing with it. I've stopped for a few days several times during the course of this. Please let this be the last!

I really think I've just done too much, but it's very hard not to when things go on this long - life has to continue! Of course, it may have been that I was expecting twins and had more placental site to heal.

Regardless, I hope you dear ones who are still going through this will be brought to rapid healing!