Recently, a colleague and his wife suddenly lost their unborn child. We work in separate departments and I didn’t know them well enough to know they were pregnant. But whether it was empathy or sympathy, the loss hit me hard.
When Jesus went to Bethany because His dear friend Lazarus had died, the Gospel says that He “groaned in the spirit and was troubled” and “He wept.” John 11:33 and 11:35. Jesus was not weeping because Lazarus had “fallen asleep”. Jesus knew He would call Lazarus out of the grave that day. No, I believe He wept out of compassion because of the pain that the family was feeling.
I guess that’s where I was because I have never had to bear the loss of a child. I can’t begin to know what they are going through.
Feeling the need to send some words of comfort but finding none, I sent a link to a song by Selah called “I Will Carry You (Audrey’s Song)”, a beautiful song about a mother forever carrying a child that had earned its angel wings and how Jesus is carrying them both. I pray that Jesus can use it to help soothe aching hearts.
Looking for answers to the “whys”, some lyrics came to mind. Something like:
angel babies needed one more to play,
angel mommies needed one more to hold,
angel grandmas needed one more child to hear their stories told.
Trusting her to the One that really knows her
Jesus just needed to hold her closer.
As a song was forming, my heart was breaking so hard, I had to stop. As the day pressed on, more lyrics leaked out like teardrops. Then I got a call from my child. I was even more grateful for the blessing that she is.
Later, the angel baby’s parents posted her birth announcement. It said she was “born sleeping” and that she was loved, wanted, and missed.
What a beautiful thought.
Imagine sleeping in the arms of Jesus.
We grieve because we have to wait to hold the ones we love that have gone on ahead. But until then, Jesus will be holding them closely. And He is certainly holding this precious little one, until her parents see her again, skipping along and playing with the other angel babies.
The cloudy skies of this life do fade in the Light of Eternity.
Waiting to hold the ones we’ve loved and lost.
And Blessed in Great Measure
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