Crown of Beauty: Session 4 – Part 1

February 5-7 found 71 Hope Moms from all over the United States in Giddings, Texas. We spent a weekend sharing our stories, our precious babies, and finding that Christ can indeed comfort the brokenhearted, often through the hands and tears of another sufferer along the way. The following series is a recap of each of the main teaching sessions.

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
-2 Corinthians 4:6-11

God did not promise us a life free from trouble.  He did not promise us a life free from death.  He did not promise us a life free from pain.   But, He said that it wouldn’t destroy us.  He said that He wouldn’t leave us.  He said that He would not forsake us, even when there is trouble on every side.

I want you to look at verse 11 again.

“For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”

This is our purpose — that we might be manifestations of the life of Jesus here on earth.

I did not want to be here today, to tell you the truth.  This is not a club that I wanted to be a part of.  On May 22, 1998 I didn’t want to be here.  I didn’t want to talk to you about infant loss or be among people who have lost their babies.  But God, in all of His glory, had a different plan for my life.

This Scripture that we have been looking at, Isaiah 61, was written to the brokenhearted — to us, to those who feel like they have been destroyed, those you feel like, “Lord are you asleep?  Do you see what is happening to me?  Wake up!”  When the Lord was on the boat while it was storming they said, “Hey! Wake up!”  And he responded to them, “You, of little faith. Wind and waves, be still!”  Jesus is here with us.

It is okay that we lament.  It is okay for us to tell God that we are hurting — that our hearts are broken and we feel alone.   And let me just tell you, when you have nothing else to hang on to, and nothing makes sense, you are in the perfect place for God to bless you.  You are, right now, in the perfect place to see the deliverance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  When you have nowhere else to go, there are no limits to what He can do.

There is this song that I learned while growing up that says, “He was there all the time, waiting patiently in line.” 

After I talked to my mom,
after I talked to my dad,
after I talked to my pastor,
after I talked to my friends,
after I went to all the books and all the support groups,
Jesus was just in line waiting.

And when I ran out of every other option in my life, Jesus was just standing there waiting.  He says, I’m here, now let’s get down to business.”  Sometimes its in those moments when it seems like the Lord isn’t moving in your life that He shows up and makes His move.  This is when He displays His character.  This is when He shows you who He is.

He says in Isaiah 61:3 that you will be “oaks of righteousness.”  The significance of this is that the location of these oaks of righteousness is the middle of the desert. When do you see oaks in the desert?  If you see oaks in the desert that are big and tall, full of splendor, and spread throughout, they are a cover for someone else.  That’s the purpose.  You will be manifested with the life of Jesus Christ so that you may comfort others with the comfort you have been given.  People will see Jesus in your life and you will shine!

“To grant to those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
They shall build up the ancient ruins;
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.”
-Isaiah 61:3-4

What God is saying in this passage, is that He promises to restore.  And not only is He going to restore you, He’s going to restore everyone around you. Strangers are going to come to you for cover, strangers are going to come to you and say, “What is it about you? What is it that I see in you?”  And you’ll be able to say, “That is Jesus.  If you only knew what I went through.  He is the only reason I have gotten through this.”

People will come up to me and say, “Shandria, you are so strong!” If they only knew what it took for me to get here today.  If they only knew what it took for me to get out of my room this morning to get here — all the things that go on in my mind, all the things that I think about.  If they only knew all the things that the Lord is working on in my life right now, the storms that I am walking through at this moment.  But I know I have a Savior.  I know that He will never leave me or forsake me.  I know that He says I will stand tall and strong in Him.

So as much pain as you are in right now, know that the purpose isn’t for you to just feel pain.  It is not for you to feel like right here and right now you are done.  But when you are in that place where you feel like you are done, that’s the perfect place for God to meet you.  He can use this pain in your life to bring about a greater manifestation of Him in your life.  And the manifestation of Him in your life looks like oaks of righteousness.  It allows you to become a comfort for someone else.  You will someday be able to look into someone else’s eyes and say, “I know exactly what you’re going through, and Jesus delivers.  He restores and He saves.”

I don’t have a magic answer, but I do know that trusting God is everything.  And one thing I have learned, is that when I am thirsty, I want to drink anything that looks and feels like water.  So be careful of false prophets in your life — people who will take Scripture and twist and turn it and give you a hundred different meanings.  That is why you have got to know God’s Word for yourself.  Other things may feel good for awhile, but they can never quench the thirst you have for the Living Water.

We’ve heard the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  They didn’t bow down to worship the king’s statue, so they were thrown into the fiery furnace.   And the Angel of the Lord came into the fire with them to protect them. 

What I noticed about this story is that God didn’t come down and put out the fire or burn up the people around them.  And I think, “Man, that would have been a great end to my story, if He would have swooped down, put the fire out, and said, ‘Come on, let’s go!’”  But that isn’t what God did.  He didn’t put out the fire.  He walked in.  He walked through that fire with them.  And the miraculous thing is, that because He was in the fire with them, they didn’t get burned.

Right now, Jesus is walking with you.  As you are in this fire, He isn’t putting it out, or rescuing you away from it.  He is walking with you in it.  If He always rescued you away from the fire, you would never learn to trust in Him.

I know pain.  I know hurt.  I know disappointment.  I know longing and wanting God to answer prayer and waiting and Him not moving.  And through it all God has allowed me to come full circle.  So I can stand here today and tell you that you can get through this.  God purposed this in your life so that you may know Christ in His suffering.  Jesus suffered and died.  But then He stood over death, put it away, and said, “I AM THE LIFE!”  And because of this, there is a hope in front of us. 

The death of my babies has actually freed me from the fear of death.  Because I realized that there really isn’t death in Christ.  Closing your eyes on earth, means that you are opening up your eyes in the presence of Jesus!  Sign me up for that!  Jesus died for us, and defeated death so that we might be forgiven and receive life!  Our babies are not dead.  They are alive in Christ, and we can see them again some day!

God tells us in His Word that we will going through hard times, because we live in a sinful world, but it will not destroy you!  So let go of needing an explanation.  Let it go, and hang on to Him.  He is in complete control.  Before the foundations of the world, He orchestrated this moment in your life.  And He knew that He would be here for you in the midst of it.

Stay tuned for the last recap from the Crown of Beauty: 2016 Retreat weekend, next week!

My name is Shundria Riddick. I am a wife to my best friend, Chris and the mother of 6 wonderful children. Joshua 15, Elyana 14, and Noah 9 are here in my arms. My hope babies Grace, Caleb and Angel have the privilege of living in the presence of Jesus.
Both my husband and I are licensed professional counselors and live outside of Dallas, Texas. I enjoy walking with other moms who are grieving the loss of their precious babies. My counseling practice is focused on guiding others with the truth of God’s word into the hope and freedom that is promised through Christ.
Most of my days are spent cooking, cleaning, and chauffeuring kids. I enjoy spending time with my husband and writing in my blog “Shundria on Shuffle.” You can find my blog and me at www.shundriariddick.com.