A Time For Healing
Pregnancy loss has many faces – heartbreak, depression, loneliness, anger, and so many more. People are not generally comfortable talking about it or bringing it up, leaving many women to grieve independently.
Thankfully, Insight Women’s Center changed that for me.
I did not expect Insight’s Pregnancy Loss Retreat to be so powerful when I first signed up for it. I assumed all it would entail was to talk about my losses and work through the grief I was navigating. Mercifully, God made sure it was so much more than that. The experience was full of love and support. It was peaceful and gave me a break from the real world, and I was able to spend time focusing on the most devastating experience of my life.
Above all else, it was healing. I felt the physical presence of Jesus every moment I was at Buffalo Ridge. Through the power of scripture, I built relationships with women who personally knew what I was feeling. During the three days I spent with these incredible women, we laughed together, cried together, and testified to one another. Sharing my grief and experiences with other faithful women was the most powerful gift God could have given me.
Before the retreat, I was broken, consumed by anger and depression. I had miscarried twice and was not hopeful about the future. Desperately, I wanted something tangible to remember my angels, like an ultrasound picture, but was left empty-handed, heartbroken, and with an empty womb. Though we made beautiful memorial bracelets and other things at the retreat that I cherish, it led me to realize something much more important: The Bible is tangible. It is physical evidence that God created my babies for a purpose and gave them to me for a reason. The Bible is the tangible item I needed to feel hope for my future and comfort in the midst of mourning.
Since the retreat, I have had two additional miscarriages. I would not have had the strength to walk through those had it not been for the steps towards healing and hope that came from the weekend at Buffalo Ridge. I have also continued to build a relationship with the other woman who attended with me. We have walked through grief together and rejoiced together. Last month I got to witness God redeem her losses through the birth of her beautiful daughter.
I’m thankful to know that the Insight staff are there whenever I need a shoulder to cry on or a safe haven.
God truly does turn mourning into dancing. And sometimes, he uses other people to show us just how powerful His love is in every season. No matter where you are in your journey, Insight offers a safe, welcoming place for you to go and feel like family.
If you or someone you know would like more information regarding our miscarriage and child loss resources, please contact us at childloss@insightlawrence.org