Loving Care: In Happy Times and Sad

That first year in New Jersey produced mostly happy memories, but even in the hard times loving care was shown to us.

 

[The year was not without its trials. The hardest was enduring my first miscarriage.

 

Before I share about that I’ll include some happy times. My brother came to visit which was a treat for the girls. 

 

 

They loved Uncle Greg. While he was there we visited a nearby playground.

 

 

New Pregnancy

 

We really had not planned for another child yet, having just moved and needing to get settled in a new area. But when I realized I was pregnant, we began to get excited about adding a new family member.

 

I remember having the usual tiredness and morning sickness, but things seemed to be going well. Then, about the 12th week of the pregnancy I noticed I was bleeding a little. I went to the OBGYN office, and the doctor told me there was a 50/50 chance of the baby surviving. Needless to say, I was a very upset young mother.

 

*Trigger warning – details of miscarriage*

 

My husband and I prayed a lot, but things got worse, and we faced our first loss. Because it happened at home, we were able to see the tiny body that was already recognizable as a baby. Of course, that made it even more traumatic for me, and I remember shedding a lot of tears. After the miscarriage the doctor instructed me to come to the hospital for a D & C procedure.

 

While lying on the hospital bed unsure of what was to come, I asked God to be with me, to give me strength and grace. He did bring peace to my heart as I was wheeled into the operating room.

 

It was still a difficult time, and I was pretty weak. My blood pressure was low, but I made it through without any more complications.

 

A Neighbor’s Loving Care

 

A neighbor, Martie Moore, came over to stay with our girls while we were at the hospital. She washed all my dirty dishes and thoroughly cleaned my kitchen. Later, she brought us a meal. She’s the friend we walked with to and from the preschool our daughters attended, as mentioned near the end of THIS POST.

 

We developed a close relationship even though we were neighbors for only one school year. Our friendship has lasted through the years as we went our separate ways.

 

We now live within 3 hours of each other. When we do get together, it’s as if no time has passed, and we pick up where we left off.

 

 

A Pastor’s Loving Concern

 

Our pastor came to visit me shortly after the miscarriage. He was very tender and compassionate, like a father. 

 

He noticed I was very pale and told me to be careful and take it easy. Then he wrote a scripture passage in my Bible.

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any afflictions with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. II Corinthians 1:3,4

 

He told me this experience, though hard, would enable me to comfort others. Sure enough, the very next year a friend of ours had a miscarriage. When I went to visit her, I didn’t have to say anything. But she told me that she knew I understood because I had been through it myself.

 

God’s Loving Provision

 

Even though this was a hard experience, I know that God was with me. Our friends demonstrated true loving care through their kindness.  Several years later I had two more miscarriages fairly close together, so I do understand that kind of loss.

 

I hope that by sharing my story you will be encouraged, even when going through hard times. Feel free to comment and share your own stories of loss and hope.

 

Next week I will conclude our Kenilworth adventures with a beach trip, my daughter’s scary thoughts, and a short look back.

 

I’m linking up with: #TellHisStory, #TeaAndWord

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