57 results for author: Constance Ray

Honoring Hope Dads This Father’s Day

Sometimes, when we’re grieving, even kind words for those closest to us can be hard to find. But with Father’s Day approaching this Sunday, I want to gently encourage you to remember your husband on this tender day. Parenting a child in heaven is a heavy burden. Not just for us, but for our husbands, too. Hope Dads often carry sorrow in quiet, unseen ways. I pray these resources give you a starting place. Below, you’ll find: A sample Father’s Day letter to help you speak words of love and encouragement to your husband—thanking him for the ways he’s walked this road of loss with you and pointing him to the Lord for strength and ...

Why Do I Run From You?

“Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” —Psalm 139:7 In the raw ache of grief, I’ve asked this more than once: “Why do I run from You, Lord, when You’re the only one who understands me?” It doesn’t make sense on paper. God is my refuge, my comfort, my healer. I know this. I’ve sung it in church, I’ve whispered it in the dark, and yet, when the pain crashed in—when my arms felt empty and my heart shattered—I didn’t fall into His. I pulled away. In those raw and early days of grief, instead of leaning into His presence, I often retreated. I numbed. I avoided. I distracted myself ...

Host a Hope Box Gathering

Hope Boxes are one of the most cherished parts of our ministry. They’re often the very first connection we make with a bereaved mom—a gift that gently invites her into the Hope Mommies community and reminds her that, even in the brokenness, God sees and cares for her. Since 2011, we’ve placed over 30,000 Hope Boxes into the hands of grieving mothers. There are three main ways these boxes reach moms: 1. Ordered through our website, assembled by a volunteer, and shipped directly to a Hope Mom. 2. Provided by our local Chapters, who fundraise, assemble, and deliver boxes to hospitals and provider offices. 3. And through Hope Box ...

God is not outside this grief, He is with you in it.

There is something holy about grief. Not because it feels good or because we understand it—but because God meets us there. We often feel pressure to move past our sorrow. To find the silver lining. To clean up our tears and point to hope before we’ve even had time to weep. But the heart of our God is not one who rushes us past our pain. He is not uncomfortable with our lament. He is not impatient with our sadness. God is not outside your grief. He is not standing at a distance, waiting for you to “get over it.” He is sitting with you in it. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in ...

Joy in the Storm

Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus The loss of a baby has a way of unsettling us, it’s like a storm we never saw coming. Grief, loss, uncertainty, and fear can feel overwhelming, threatening to pull us under. Yet, I have learned that when I keep my gaze on Jesus, everything shifts—my perspective, my heart, and my hope. Only in Him can I find joy that isn’t tied to my circumstances. The world says happiness comes from ease and comfort, but Scripture tells a different story—one of peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7) and joy that is made complete in Him (John 15:11). When I set the Lord before me, I will not be shaken (Psalm ...

Pregnant Again After Loss – Finding Comfort in the Nearness of Jesus

Pregnancy after loss is a journey filled with emotions that can’t be neatly categorized. It’s joy and sorrow intertwined. Hope and fear colliding. A deep love for the life growing inside you, mixed with the grief of the life that was lost. It’s carrying new life while still carrying the weight of loss. One of the greatest comforts I found in that journey came from John 11, in Jesus’s interaction with Mary and Martha after the death of their brother, Lazarus. He knew He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead, yet He didn’t rush past their pain. He didn’t tell them to stop crying or remind them that something good was coming. Instead, ...

To the mama whose arms are empty this Mother’s Day

I see you. I see your pain. I see the ache that words cannot touch and the longing that time does not erase. I see your love, deep and unshaken, stretching across the space between you and your precious child. I know this day is hard. It’s a day that magnifies the ache of what should have been, what once was, or what you dreamed would be. A day that reminds us of just how fragile and broken this world can be. While others celebrate with flowers, handmade cards, and sticky little fingers wrapped around theirs, you are left holding memories, longing, and love that has nowhere tangible to go. I may not know your exact story—whether your child ...

In Christ, Nothing is Wasted

What Does It Mean That "All Things Work Together for Good"? Romans 8:28 is one of those verses we cling to in our suffering: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” But let’s be honest—there are days when this verse feels hard to believe. What does “all things” really mean? What kind of good could possibly come from the heartbreak we carry? Let’s look at what Paul says just a few verses earlier in Romans 8:20-23: “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the ...

Selah: A Sacred Pause in Your Grief

Selah. Have you heard this word before? Chances are you’ve read it in the Bible, or maybe you’ve heard of the band by the same name. Whether it’s familiar or brand new, I want you to take a moment and let the meaning of this God-breathed word settle in your heart.  The Hebrew word Selah appears 74 times in the Bible, and 71 of those occur in the book of Psalms. Many commentaries say that Selah is a mysterious, ambiguous word—a word with uncertain meaning. However, some believe King David used this word as an invitation to pause—to take a breath, reflect, rest, and remember. In the early days of my grief, rest felt impossible. After my ...

When death steals your song God prepares the way for joy and light to return

In Psalm 42 we’re given a poetic description of a man who is suffering unbearable circumstances. He pants and thirsts. Tears have been his food day and night. His soul is downcast. Can you relate? I can. 14 years ago, I gave birth to my daughter in a silent hospital room. There was no sweet cry of a newborn, only hushed voices. Joy and light left my world the moment death entered. Her little body was so perfectly formed by the Creator. I held her and wept as I admired every single feature. 22 weeks with her wasn’t enough.  Even now, there are moments I cry tears I didn’t know I had left to cry, still longing for what was lost. Mothering a ...