W3 (Women Who Worship)

So, many of you know that I lost my one and only son almost two years ago in January.  He was 5 days old when he died due to complications from labor and delivery.  Well, tonight, I had our monthly group meeting at Tiny Purpose (www.TinyPurpose.com) and we had our Christmas party.

The party was fun and we had a great time ’stealing’ gifts from our bereaved moms, but then just before we were getting ready to go our leaders decided to “get serious”.   Almost every month at group we share our stories and for many of us it includes our birth story of our special children.  Well Kristin decided to share someone else’s birth story — Jesus Christ’s!  She read from Luke about how Mary was on a long trip to Bethlehem as she was laboring and about to give birth to her son and the one and only son of God!  It was amazing to hear that story again with fresh ears to hear how precious and loved and wanted that child was and Mary could not even comprehend how miraculous her son was to be….

For those of us who have lost a child, we can only compare how devastating it must have been for Mary to stand by and watch as her son whom she was told was to be the “Messiah” be hung on a cross and pierced to bleed  and suffocate to death.  To see the one who was the Savior upon the cross and be the mom who wanted to ’save’ him more than anything.  I am just reminded how amazing God’s love for us is.  He loves us with an unfailing love and we just have no ability to understand that apart from our faith.  We simply must BELIEVE it!

At the end of the story from the Bible of Christ’s birth, 16 moms whose babies had died shared a candlelight memorial in honor of our babies who will spend this year’s Christmas in Heaven.  We braved the icy roads and threat of more ice and snow in order to celebrate our motherhood and be in the comfort of those who have been there.

Remember the Reason for the Season.  Christmas means nothing without Christ!

Sunshine

Of course I will write on the holiday.  But, first, to my Breaking Free participants, a reminder that our last week of study will be November 28, at 6:30pm for our Celebration Wednesday and so we won’t meet this Wednesday because of the holiday.  Please enjoy the time with your families, and return next week prepared to give a short story about what Breaking Free has meant to you, and how God has been glorified through it.

This week is, as you know, the Thanksgiving week.  In a few days, most everyone in the US will be sitting around a table stuffing their faces with a large meal that invariably includes a large turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie and many other delectable home cooked foods that accompany your tradition.

In years past, when my mom was still living, and I was still living at home, we ate our turkey dinner at 1pm and and before the meal we took turns telling each other what we were thankful for.  It was quick and simple, but a tradition that was respected and appropriate.  On Thanksgiving Day 1999, I woke up early to begin cooking and saw my mom on the couch weeping.  I looked over and saw the piles of long blond hair on the pillow beside her.  She was in her second week in her chemotherapy treatment because she has newly been diagnosed with Lung Cancer.   She had been very sick due to the treatment, and after this emotional blow, I knew I would be handling the Thanksgiving dinner at the age of 19.  I made dinner and my uncle and his family arrived and some other cousins and we all enjoyed a feast, but I remember mostly just being thankful that my mom was with us.  That was the last Thanksgiving I spent with my mother, as she died the following October.   That was also the last Thanksgiving I made the entire dinner.

Since then I have had to mold my traditions to that of my husband’s family.  It is tough sometimes because most of them aren’t Christians.  To be honest, there family tradition seems to be mostly eat, eat and clean up.  It is there tradition and they enjoy it, but I wish I could incorporate  some thankfulness.  The first year, I tried and it was laughed away, but this year I want to try something different.  Last year, my husband approached his dad about saying a prayer before people began eating and dad was successful at getting everyone’s attention to do so.  And has made sure my husband has everyone’s attention at every other holiday since then.  Hopefully we can be an influence to this family.

So, my point is does anyone have any kind of creative holiday tradition to share what they are thankful for?  I would love your suggestions.  Or share a memorable Thanksgiving.  Please comment here.

Sunshine