My husband and I received a sympathy card on Friday. It was sent by a colleague in my Annual Conference, and she thought she had sent it out back in March. In an enclosed note, she described how she found the card while moving over the summer and went back and forth about sending it, [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: grief, hope, miscarriage | Leave a Comment »
On the personal horizon for me this week is a day I can’t avoid.
September 25 was the day I was due to have a baby. On March 11, when I thought I was nearing the 12-week ’safe’ mark of my pregnancy, we experienced a miscarriage, and that pregnancy– one for which we’d been trying for [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: grief, hope, miscarriage | 2 Comments »
A colleague (thanks, Mark!) sent me a link today about some Catholic Sisters who give one another space to face illness and death with peace and dignity. Note especially this section:
Dr. McCann [who works closely with the sisters] said that the sisters’ religious faith insulated them from existential suffering — the “Why me?” refrain commonly [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: counseling, grief, hope, reflection, theology | Leave a Comment »
Last night I spent a little time with a family and lead a brief prayer service at the close of calling hours for a 27 year old son, fiance, and father of three. There was a lot of pain in that room. That, combined with a discussion at UMCommunities, has me thinking, yet again, about [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: funerals, grief, theology | 5 Comments »
“Feeling the Tug”
(June 28, 2009) Jesus took notice of a woman in incredible pain who was reaching out to him. He felt her tug on the edge of his garment, and turned to offer grace and blessing, completing her healing. Who are the people who are reaching out to us in their pain? In the [...]
Filed under: podcasts | Tagged: favorites, grief, sermons | 1 Comment »
“A Time to Plant”
(Opening Memorial Service, Troy Annual Conference, June 10, 2009) Wisdom–found in the Hebrew Bible, in Paul’s letters, in Christ’s words, and even in popular culture–teaches us that dying is not really dying at all, but becoming something new and more powerful than we imagine. How can this wisdom help us trust [...]
Filed under: podcasts | Tagged: conference, grief, sermons | 1 Comment »
In my life, lessons come in seasons. I like to think that this is because all of life is learning, growing, and cyclical, but it’s probably just because I’m thickheaded and it takes a few whacks with a 2×4 upside the back of the skull for me to realize that God is trying to tell [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: grief, hope, humor, ministry, prayer, reflection, writing | 1 Comment »
It’s been six weeks, and it still hurts like hell sometimes.
I found this blog entry from another mom. It doesn’t all ring true, but a lot of it does, especially her line, “The truth is it’s not fair to make me feel uncomfortable just because you are.” Well said.
Healing comes in small steps, as ever.
—
Reconcile
It’s [...]
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It’s a sunny and almost warm spring day in Central Vermont. I even had a robin on my porch this morning. It’s also two weeks since I lost the baby, and I haven’t managed to go a whole day without tears yet, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for me. Bit by bit.
The flood [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: family, grief, hope, miscarriage, prayer | 4 Comments »
I’m not a stuff person, and I don’t go asking for gifts a lot. But I feel like this might be a good occasion.
I’d like you to give me something. Nothing huge, and preferably something that can be sent by email or explained via phone call. A poem. A picture. A prayer (I’m specifically looking [...]
Filed under: religion | Tagged: friends, grief, hope, miscarriage, writing | 5 Comments »
