Miscarriage Book
I’ve been thinking a lot about the book on miscarriage that I began working on over a year ago.
There have been many times that I have almost given up on the idea, because the task of what I am hoping to achieve was overwhelming me: There are so many questions to answer… so many stories to include…. so many resources to mention…. so much editing to do…so many pictures to illustrate for the book…
I thought that maybe this task was too large for me. So I sometimes tried to put it out of my mind and think of other things that I need or want to do.
Every couple of days (sometimes even every day), I would get an email from someone who had a miscarriage and needed support, and I would become recharged about the idea, and would write some more in the book. Emails like that reminded me what I was doing it for.
But as my days became filled more and more with things to do, the book once again got pushed back down on my priority list. I just hadn’t written in it for a few months…and I almost forgot about it too.
Then I went to church and in Sunday school, they were teaching about Nehemiah, who rebuilt the city of Jerusalem. I was convicted in my heart when they talked in great detail about how Nehemiah had begun a work for God, and hadn’t given up on it. One brick at a time, he continued working until the wall was complete.
Our church teaches Sunday school teaches using books called “Life Truths”, and this particular paragraph from the book really caught me in regard to Nehemiah:
“The great theologian Will Smith (OK, he’s really an actor) tells of a time he learned a deeply spiritual lesson. “I might have been 12 and my brother 9 when one day he [my dad] decided he wanted a new front wall at his shop. He tore the old one down--it was probably 16 feet high and 40 feet long. And he told us this was going to be our gig over the summer. We were standing there thinking, There will never, ever be a wall here again. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into the winter and then back into the spring. One day, there was a wall there again… [my dad] said, “Now, don’t you all ever tell me there’s something you can’t do.” And he walked into the shop. The thing I connect to is: I do not have to build a perfect wall today. I just have to lay a perfect brick. Just lay one brick, dude.”
When you step up to serve God, the task at times may seem impossible to complete. But don’t tell your Father there’s something you can’t do. Determine to work at what God has called you to do until God says you’re through. Nehemiah’s example in rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall can inspire us to hang in there and keep laying bricks, one at a time, until the job is complete.”
I kept thinking to myself, God is telling me that I need to finish that book. One step at a time, I can accomplish this if I don’t give up. I don’t have to accomplish it all right now. I just have to work on it until it is complete.
It seems like everywhere I have gone lately, I keep seeing reminders of this. When I was in the store, I passed an aisle that had little framed pictures that said, “With God, all things are possible”. I felt like it was speaking to me.
I was given a card (the size of a business card) the other day that said, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (from Psalm 37). On the back it says, “Commit all to Him. The more we grow in the Lord, the more we become like Him. We take on His character and His thoughts become our thoughts. His ways become our ways. When we commit something to Him, he’ll show us if it’s the right thing to do. The more we get to know Him, the more He’ll show us our plans are really His plans. He’ll work with us. And if our plans are really His plans, our plans will succeed.”
And many other instances like this have been happening and I don’t think it’s a mere coincidence.
So, I’ve been working on the book again with a renewed energy, and I am hoping that it will not be too much longer before it is completed.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
Psalm 37: 23, 24 If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
There is one thing that I need help with.
There is a section which will be devoted to answering physical questions, and I don’t have the medical expertise to answer most of the questions. I strongly feel this section needs to be included in the book, as there are so many questions that go through someone’s mind after having a miscarriage, and if some of those questions could be answered within the book it would be very helpful.
If there is anyone who reads my blog and is a pro-life Ob-Gyn, or nurse, and would be willing to help me with this section of the book, I would be extremely grateful for your help.
Please pray that I will be able to finish this book and that it will accomplish it’s purpose.
If you have anything you would like to contribute to the book, please let me know by email.
There have been many times that I have almost given up on the idea, because the task of what I am hoping to achieve was overwhelming me: There are so many questions to answer… so many stories to include…. so many resources to mention…. so much editing to do…so many pictures to illustrate for the book…
I thought that maybe this task was too large for me. So I sometimes tried to put it out of my mind and think of other things that I need or want to do.
Every couple of days (sometimes even every day), I would get an email from someone who had a miscarriage and needed support, and I would become recharged about the idea, and would write some more in the book. Emails like that reminded me what I was doing it for.
But as my days became filled more and more with things to do, the book once again got pushed back down on my priority list. I just hadn’t written in it for a few months…and I almost forgot about it too.
Then I went to church and in Sunday school, they were teaching about Nehemiah, who rebuilt the city of Jerusalem. I was convicted in my heart when they talked in great detail about how Nehemiah had begun a work for God, and hadn’t given up on it. One brick at a time, he continued working until the wall was complete.
Our church teaches Sunday school teaches using books called “Life Truths”, and this particular paragraph from the book really caught me in regard to Nehemiah:
“The great theologian Will Smith (OK, he’s really an actor) tells of a time he learned a deeply spiritual lesson. “I might have been 12 and my brother 9 when one day he [my dad] decided he wanted a new front wall at his shop. He tore the old one down--it was probably 16 feet high and 40 feet long. And he told us this was going to be our gig over the summer. We were standing there thinking, There will never, ever be a wall here again. We went brick by brick for the entire summer and into the winter and then back into the spring. One day, there was a wall there again… [my dad] said, “Now, don’t you all ever tell me there’s something you can’t do.” And he walked into the shop. The thing I connect to is: I do not have to build a perfect wall today. I just have to lay a perfect brick. Just lay one brick, dude.”
When you step up to serve God, the task at times may seem impossible to complete. But don’t tell your Father there’s something you can’t do. Determine to work at what God has called you to do until God says you’re through. Nehemiah’s example in rebuilding Jerusalem’s wall can inspire us to hang in there and keep laying bricks, one at a time, until the job is complete.”
I kept thinking to myself, God is telling me that I need to finish that book. One step at a time, I can accomplish this if I don’t give up. I don’t have to accomplish it all right now. I just have to work on it until it is complete.
It seems like everywhere I have gone lately, I keep seeing reminders of this. When I was in the store, I passed an aisle that had little framed pictures that said, “With God, all things are possible”. I felt like it was speaking to me.
I was given a card (the size of a business card) the other day that said, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (from Psalm 37). On the back it says, “Commit all to Him. The more we grow in the Lord, the more we become like Him. We take on His character and His thoughts become our thoughts. His ways become our ways. When we commit something to Him, he’ll show us if it’s the right thing to do. The more we get to know Him, the more He’ll show us our plans are really His plans. He’ll work with us. And if our plans are really His plans, our plans will succeed.”
And many other instances like this have been happening and I don’t think it’s a mere coincidence.
So, I’ve been working on the book again with a renewed energy, and I am hoping that it will not be too much longer before it is completed.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will do this:
Psalm 37: 23, 24 If the Lord delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
There is one thing that I need help with.
There is a section which will be devoted to answering physical questions, and I don’t have the medical expertise to answer most of the questions. I strongly feel this section needs to be included in the book, as there are so many questions that go through someone’s mind after having a miscarriage, and if some of those questions could be answered within the book it would be very helpful.
If there is anyone who reads my blog and is a pro-life Ob-Gyn, or nurse, and would be willing to help me with this section of the book, I would be extremely grateful for your help.
Please pray that I will be able to finish this book and that it will accomplish it’s purpose.
If you have anything you would like to contribute to the book, please let me know by email.
Posted by Bethany at 4/16/2009 9:31 AM 
Categories: Pregnancy Loss, Pro-Life Thoughts
Tags: pregnancy loss babies unborn babies miscarriage
Categories: Pregnancy Loss, Pro-Life Thoughts
Tags: pregnancy loss babies unborn babies miscarriage
Hi Bethany. I'm not sure if this will fit into your book anywhere, but I wanted to mention this to you...about a website...its called Now I lay me Down to sleep. Its a photography company. Check out their site here...
www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
Also, I'll be happy to ask my friend who is an RN and lactation consultant if she'd be willing to answer your questions. Otherwise, I'm sure you could call a hospital, explain what you are doing and they'll have someone call you that could help.
Forgot to wish you good luck on the book and yes, I'm working on becoming a certified photographer with the Now I lay me down to sleep company. There are several applications I have to go through in order to do this type of photography. Also, I got my business license yesterday! Yay!
Allison, what a wonderful thing that you are going to be doing! I have always wondered how you would get started in something like that. It will mean so much to those you do it for. Congratulations on getting your business license!
I was just wondering about your book yesterday! I think it will be a true blessing to those who really need it. I e-mailed your post to friend also. I hope you get a good response, because I can see how that part of the book would be extremely beneficial.
Thank you so much, Lenetta!
Hey Bethany!
I just tried to email you and I got it back because your mailbox is full.
Jana, I received your email and replied!
Hi Bethany,
I'm glad to hear that you are still working on the book...it's going to be a very useful resource for many women. Something I wish I had last year when going through my miscarriage.
My cousin is a nurse in L & D and she has also been through a miscarriage herself. Let me know if you would like me to contact you to see if she could be of any help.
Julie, I replied to you in a comment on your blog. Thank you!
I got your comment. I will e-mail my cousin today to see if she can help you out. I will direct her to your blog and e-mail address to get in touch with you!
Good luck with the book. I've had many miscarriages over the years and never found anything close to what you're writing - it would have helped so much if I had.
I don't have any medical knowledge to offer but I would suggest emphasizing the fact that there can be hope after a miscarriage. Even after numerous miscarriages it is still possible to carry a baby to term. It doesn't lessen the pain but it does offer a little glimpse of hope after such a devastating loss.
I think that is a very good idea, Sandcastle Momma... Thank you so much for the suggestion...I am going to email you in a bit.
Wow. Just found your blog today and just had a miscarriage yesterday. I think it definitely is the Lord's timing that you write this book! I would love to read it, and I think it is absolutely an issue that God wants to speak about.
Sarah, I am sorry for your loss!
Thank you for the encouragement.
I found your blog last year when I was going through a missed miscarriage. Your blog was very encouraging to me and I was excited about your book idea. I'd checked back again recently and noticed that you hadn't mentioned the book in a while (and I was somewhat disappointed!) I'm so glad your energy has been renewed. I also have a "wall" I'm supposed to be building for the Lord and this entry really spoke to my heart. Thank you for sharing the scriptures. I need to start laying bricks. (Also, as I was reading this entry I had a feeling I should share some of my miscarriage story and pictures with you... I'll see if I can find a contact email, but if not, can you email me?)
Please do continue with the book!
Congratulation for your first book. I hope this book become the start of another book.....
Dear Bethany,
i'm your blog reader from Malaysia. It is so encouraging to read your post for the this topic. I were expecting 2 babies but I lost both of them (First baby - 6 months pregnant in 2006, Second - 2 1/2 month pregnant (Mar this yr). So there are still 2 of us since we married 3 yrs ago.