Each week AFL posts an Anglicans in Action video, which gives practical suggestions, resources, and ideas for life-ministry. This week’s focus is on miscarriage. You can see all the Anglicans in Action videos on our YouTube Channel.
This week’s action idea is in response to a common question I am asked when speaking at churches. Similar to those dealing with grief after an abortion, how can we help women we know who are hurting after the death of their child through miscarriage or still-birth?
the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, estimates that 10% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, so it is important to recognize there are many women sitting in our congregations silently struggling with grief and doubt after the death of their baby.
Elizabeth Ministry is a program that covers topics of infertility, prenatal/infant crisis, miscarriage, and child loss. We commend their resources and support programs to you. Visit their website, at elizabethministry.org to learn more about their resources for hope and healing.
In addition, “Comfort, Hope, and Peace in the Midst of Pregnancy Loss” is a booklet that covers the story of Michael and Kimberly Davis. The couple shares their story of grief, great pain, and sadness that stemmed from the miscarriage of their daughter. Their hope is that it will do just as the title says: provide others with comfort, hope, and peace during the grieving process.
Sharon Fox, founder of Brave Penny, a nonprofit ministry focused on ministering to those who grieve, has written a book entitled A Precious Loss. It is designed to help individuals and families that have experienced the Death of a child through infant illness, miscarriage, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or stillbirth. This publication will encourage those hurting to find the path to healing and consolation in Christ.
Imagine if, as Christians, as mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers, we could better acknowledge the burden of miscarriage. In the world around us, there is little solace for those grieving from miscarriages. Though relatively common, miscarriage is a topic whispered in obstetricians’ offices but rarely discussed in a society that regards the unborn – especially at the earliest stages of pregnancy – as disposable nonentities. When we believe life begins at conception, we must recognize that the mother dealing with a miscarriage is grieving an unborn person with a soul. The loss of that unique individual leaves an enormous void in the lives of parents and echoes doubts and insecurities that Satan wants them to believe; that God is not for us and that He is not with us in the grief. The truth is, God is always with us and for us, even in the pain. This week, I encourage you to ask the Lord to show you someone who could use that message. Ultimately, the greatest antidote to grief is empathy. When we understand that God not only sees our heartbreak but feels it with us, it becomes natural to want to receive the healing that only He can provide. As Anglicans for Life, it is our mission to be a conduit for that kind of transformational healing.
