Having a baby is supposed to be a time of great excitement and joy.
But what if it’s not?
What happens when something goes wrong? What happens when the joys of pregnancy become a devastating, heart-wrenching experience?
Adriel Booker has survived that experience three times. She’ll tell you that she has seven children, but only three sit around the dinner table. She gave birth to two boys, and then she and her husband experienced three consecutive miscarriages. They now have a third son, but sadly they experienced another miscarriage a few months ago.
She’ll also tell you that grief brings a mix of emotions. Confusion. Anger. Doubt. Sadness. Sorrow. And it’s rarely linear. You won’t move smoothly from one stage of grief to another. It’s often circular. It’s often messy.
As you seek God in your pain, give yourself permission to be human. God isn’t threatened by your humanity. He isn’t repelled by it, either. He’s drawn to you. He created you.
Jesus did not divest himself of one divine attribute, but He became fully human, so He could embrace our humanity fully and completely. Redemption and healing come as we open ourselves to Him. That includes our confusion, anger, doubt, sadness, and sorrow.
The birth of a child is the very personification of love. But from the Garden of Eden, love has involved risk (Genesis 3).
Adriel Booker and I had a great conversation about healing and hope in the wake of a miscarriage. We’re airing a recording of it on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Grieving, Healing, and Hoping After Miscarriage.” Adriel’s experience with pregnancy loss will encourage you to believe that through Christ there is hope and healing to families who are walking the path of grief.
Our talk was scheduled long before her latest miscarriage. In the days leading up to our time together, friends and family asked her, “Are you sure you’re ready to talk about this?” She told them “No, of course I’m not. But if we don’t talk about the real hope that’s possible when life is turning upside down, then how powerful is our hope?”
I hope you’ll join us on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.
Also, if you’re dealing with the aftermath of a miscarriage, know that we have caring Christian counselors on staff, and it would be their privilege to offer you a free consultation. Call us, leave your name and number, and they’ll get back with you just as soon as possible. The number during business hours is 1-800-A-FAMILY (232-6459).
I’d also like to offer you Adriel’s book Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope After Miscarriage and Loss for a gift of any amount. For more information, visit our website. And if you can’t afford it, we’ll find a way to get it to you.
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