Where Security Begins
It was just a few months after losing our second daughter when my husband and I sat across from a friend talking through our grief. I remember him saying to me, “Lindsey, what would it look like for you to rest in the safety of God’s arms right now?” I cringed at the thought. “Safe?” God surely didn’t feel safe to me at that moment.
My first daughter had died over 14 months earlier, and then we had walked through virtually the same situation with our second daughter. I could grasp that, somewhere, in all of this pain, God was good, God was at work, and God ...
In the Word: Leaning on Mercy
Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next few weeks, we will be meditating on themes of God's mercy. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us!
"I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold,
I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD.
I have not hidden your deliverance within my ...
Dear Noah + Isabelle: A Letter to My Hope Babies
My Precious Babies,
Can you believe it has been six years since we lost you, Noah, and five years since we lost you, Isabelle? Sometimes, I don’t know where the time has gone, but I do know that I have spent a lot of that time missing you so very deeply.
I have wanted to be a mama as far back as I remember. Anytime I played house growing up, I was the mom. I dreamed about getting married and having kids one day, so once your dad and I got married, we could not wait to have a baby! Noah, when I found out I was pregnant with you, I was home alone because dad was at work, ...
A Song for My Soul: Blessings
Music has the ability to speak into the deepest recesses of our hearts. God often uses songs to speak hope and encouragement to our souls. In this series, Hope Moms share songs that have pointed them to the hope of Christ in the midst of their grief. Is there a song that has comforted you in your grief? We'd love to have you share your story here.
Music is such an amazing gift. Songs have a way of speaking to our soul and ministering to our mind. The first time I heard the song “Blessings” by Laura Story was two months after losing Kinley. I remember tears ...
Dear Kinley: A Letter to My Hope Baby
Dear Kinley,
Oh my sweet girl, how has it already been over 12 years since I last held you in my arms? Time goes by so quickly. Your 13th birthday will be in here in December. A teenager. Wow! There are so many life lessons learned in the teenage years. Things I wish I could have taught you or helped you process. Instead, I feel I have learned many things from God because of you.
Even though you are not here, God continues to use you, your story, for His glory. I wanted so much for the narrative of your life to read as a miraculous tale of healing. I desperately ...
Children Are a Gift
It's a scene that I’ll replay in my mind for the rest of my life. Sitting on the floor of our white tub, watching clots of burgundy run down my legs and past my feet. Tears poured down my cheeks, becoming one with the water as it drowned out the sounds of my guttural wailing. It’s a surreal feeling; watching life leave your body and run into the drain. I have lived this memory twice. It feels sacrilegious of sorts. Insensitive and cold. To carry life but instead of giving my babies a proper goodbye, I watched pieces of the life that was once inside of me run into the ...
In the Word: Sin and Suffering
Welcome to Hope Mommies In the Word devotionals. Over the next few weeks, we will be meditating on themes of God's mercy. As we study these truths together, we’d love you to use the comments as a place to dialogue with us about what you are learning and share your answers to the questions below. We pray that you hearts will be encouraged as you dig into God's Word each week with us!
"For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see;
They are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to ...
The Heart of Fear
Fear. It’s a funny thing. We talk about having a healthy fear of things being good. Knowing not to touch a hot stovetop or a toddler who is timid about just jumping in a pool is a good, healthy fear. Fear is an asset in dangerous situations. But fear can cause us to sin and keep us in bondage. So let’s talk about fear.
During my pregnancy with my son, I had no fear or reason to have fear. I already had two easy pregnancies resulting in healthy daughters, so I assumed it would be the same with my son. That was not the case as he was stillborn at 37 weeks due to a 1 in ...
Dear Chance: A Letter to my Hope Baby
Dear Chance,
It is hard to believe that eight years have passed since I held your tiny body in my arms, admired your cute-as-a-button nose, and soaked in every detail of your being. Those early days after saying goodbye were filled with deep sadness, pain, and grief. The tears came heavy and often, hitting with a force so sudden it took my breath away. A tear-stained pillow was my common companion as light gave way to darkness. Slowly, as days passed and time kept inching on, the space between the blows of grief widened ever so slightly. And again, ever so slightly, until ...
