"The LORD gave, and The LORD has taken away;
blessed be the name of The LORD."
- Job 1:21b
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Our home is rejoicing at the news of another baby girl joining our family, Miss. Maggie Maloy. We're anticipating her arrival in late June, and readying our home for her. We've welcomed baby girls before, so there won't be much to purchase, but I'll still want to get a few new things just for her. New babies are so exciting, bring so much joy, and in many cases, a sense of healing and peace to a family, that "now we are complete" feeling.
I remember feeling this way when my first nephew arrived in December of 2006. My Grandmother had died that July, and the family had been in mourning so long, and didn't want to face Christmas without her. But then Devin came into our world, and with him he brought so much healing to our hearts, filling us with new love, and new joy, and the promise of new life. God knew we would need him that Christmas, and he was the perfect little gift.
My heart has been feeling this same torn feeling now, as we look ahead to the arrival of Maggie. The LORD has blessed us with this new life, but in the midst of our joy, there's also sorrow, because just weeks ago, The LORD called another baby home, only a few weeks younger than our little Maggie.
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My cousin told me she was pregnant just as I was entering my second trimester. We were so excited to be expecting together, anticipating the summer when the Rose family would welcome two new beautiful babies! We swapped pregnancy symptoms, and the need to move into maternity pants, and laughed at our food cravings and exhaustion. We shared in the joyous experience of being pregnant together, and had so much hope for our future.
But just weeks after that happy announcement, another announcement came that broke our hearts. Our families joy turned into mourning once more, as we cried together, prayed together, and sought God's face in such a horrible time.
The LORD gave, and The LORD has taken away.
My heart carries the loss of this precious babe everyday. Every time I feel my baby kick, every time I ache, or catch a glimpse of my growing belly, I am reminded of the empty belly, the broken heart, and the tremendous loss that my loved ones are feeling. We'll never know why God chose this plan, we'll never understand His ways. But in the midst of it, we're still holding onto hope, and The hand of our Savior that promises to guide us through.
The LORD gave, and The LORD has taken away.
Blessed be The name of The LORD!
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It's hard to rejoice in the middle of sorrow, it's hard to find the light. But as Christians, we hold onto the promise that God is still good, and is working all things out for our good. We know that our God does not do bad things, and we know He uses every circumstance in our lives to bring about His perfect plan, to glorify Himself, and to bless us. There is a reason for our current sufferings on this earth, and one day, He will reveal that reason, and all wounds will be healed. We may stumble in the darkness for a time, but God has promised that joy will always come….even if the joy is mixed with tears.
I know that when we welcome Maggie this summer we will cry many tears of joy, but the absence of another babe will not be missed, and there will be moments of sadness over that as well. We will share in the joy and pain together, because we're family, and that's what family does. We rejoice when one rejoices, and we cry when one cries, and we will continue to bless the name of our LORD together through it all.
Maggie will grow up hearing this story, and she'll know of her baby cousin waiting for her in Heaven. She'll hear about Grandma, and all the others who have gone before, and I'll teach her to embrace joy, but also keep room in her heart for remembering, and honoring the memory of those who are no longer with us.
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And as tears fall now, I know this is all just part of life's journey. The LORD gives, and The LORD takes away, but in all of it, He remains good, and we will choose to bless His Name.
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