"Gratitude in its deepest sense means to live life as a gift to be received thankfully. And true gratitude embraces all of life: the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, the holy and the not-so-holy. We do this because we become aware of God's life, God's presence in the middle of all that happens."
Henri Nouwen
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Good company
Our whole family went to a baby shower tonight.
Now, normally a baby shower wouldn't be a super exciting event for us. For one, I don't know that baby showers are EVER super exciting for men. :) And besides, we should have our own newborn baby right now, and I don't particularly enjoy being reminded of the fact that we don't at an event that is celebrating someone else's baby.
HOWEVER, this baby shower was different. The family of honor welcomed a sweet baby girl last month after losing their son at 20 weeks in the fall of 2010. This is the mama friend who cried with me on the phone the night before we were induced with sweet Hannah and told me about the Missing Grace Foundation.
Not only was this family familiar with the pain of pregnancy loss. Every other family at the shower knew the same pain. This group of friends met while attending the support groups at Missing Grace and they've so wonderfully taken us under their wings in the last five months.
There's something very humbling and comforting about being with people who have been where you've been. And, frankly, it's a really crappy thing that we all have in common. But once you are in this "club," you're so glad that the club exists. Because, heaven help us if we had to get through this mess of grief and pain without someone there to say, "I know what this is like. I know how much this sucks. I know how you feel."
Even when this exhausted new mama tells of her sleepless nights and possibly colicky baby's fussiness, you know it's still from a place of knowing how incredibly lucky she is to be holding this precious life. And of wishing she'd had the chance to spend sleepless nights rocking her fussy baby boy a year and a half ago.
So, welcome to the world, Adeline Beatrice. We're so glad you're here!
Now, normally a baby shower wouldn't be a super exciting event for us. For one, I don't know that baby showers are EVER super exciting for men. :) And besides, we should have our own newborn baby right now, and I don't particularly enjoy being reminded of the fact that we don't at an event that is celebrating someone else's baby.
HOWEVER, this baby shower was different. The family of honor welcomed a sweet baby girl last month after losing their son at 20 weeks in the fall of 2010. This is the mama friend who cried with me on the phone the night before we were induced with sweet Hannah and told me about the Missing Grace Foundation.
Not only was this family familiar with the pain of pregnancy loss. Every other family at the shower knew the same pain. This group of friends met while attending the support groups at Missing Grace and they've so wonderfully taken us under their wings in the last five months.
There's something very humbling and comforting about being with people who have been where you've been. And, frankly, it's a really crappy thing that we all have in common. But once you are in this "club," you're so glad that the club exists. Because, heaven help us if we had to get through this mess of grief and pain without someone there to say, "I know what this is like. I know how much this sucks. I know how you feel."
Even when this exhausted new mama tells of her sleepless nights and possibly colicky baby's fussiness, you know it's still from a place of knowing how incredibly lucky she is to be holding this precious life. And of wishing she'd had the chance to spend sleepless nights rocking her fussy baby boy a year and a half ago.
So, welcome to the world, Adeline Beatrice. We're so glad you're here!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Samuel Evan
My sweet Hannah has a new friend in heaven. I was connected with RaeAnne through a former co-worker and I've followed her story since December. It's an amazing, beautiful story of strength and faith. Samuel was born on Saturday and went home to Jesus a few hours later.
If you'd like to read their story, RaeAnne has been blogging at Nothing Without You and has a wonderful way with words.
RaeAnne, I'm so sorry you have to join so many of us on this journey as a bereaved mother. <3
If you'd like to read their story, RaeAnne has been blogging at Nothing Without You and has a wonderful way with words.
RaeAnne, I'm so sorry you have to join so many of us on this journey as a bereaved mother. <3
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Wisdom from "Sacred Marriage"
"What I am saying is not simply the old Puritan truism that 'suffering teaches.' I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness, and the willingness to remain vulnerable."
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
"If we live without an eternal perspective, earthly trials become larger than life. Without the hope of heaven or the sense of the importance of growing character and refinement, there is nothing to prepare for, nothing to look forward to; it is like practicing and practicing, but never getting to actually play a game."
-Gary Thomas
- Anne Morrow Lindbergh
"If we live without an eternal perspective, earthly trials become larger than life. Without the hope of heaven or the sense of the importance of growing character and refinement, there is nothing to prepare for, nothing to look forward to; it is like practicing and practicing, but never getting to actually play a game."
-Gary Thomas
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Gratitude
Our lives are full of losses—losses of dreams and losses of friends and losses of family and losses of hopes. Over time, there are more and more things we can be negative about. Resentment makes us cling to our failures or disappointments and complain about the losses in our lives. Resentment gives us a hardened heart, and we become resentful people.
Gratitude in its deepest sense means to live life as a gift to be received gratefully. But gratitude as the gospel speaks about it embraces all of life: the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, the holy and the not so holy.
Jesus calls us to gratitude. He calls us to recognize that gladness and sadness are never separate, that joy and sorrow really belong together, and that mourning and dancing are part of the same movement. That is why Jesus calls us to be grateful for every moment that we have lived and to claim our unique journey as God's way to mold our hearts to greater conformity with God's own.
Henri Nouwen
Gratitude in its deepest sense means to live life as a gift to be received gratefully. But gratitude as the gospel speaks about it embraces all of life: the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful, the holy and the not so holy.
Jesus calls us to gratitude. He calls us to recognize that gladness and sadness are never separate, that joy and sorrow really belong together, and that mourning and dancing are part of the same movement. That is why Jesus calls us to be grateful for every moment that we have lived and to claim our unique journey as God's way to mold our hearts to greater conformity with God's own.
Henri Nouwen
Sunday, April 01, 2012
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