DISCLAIMER: This post will cover first-trimester miscarriage.
In my first blog post, I shared where my prayer journey for my children began and how God brought me comfort through reading the Old Testament in order. I’d like to expand on that part of my story a bit more.
When I was suddenly faced with that loss, my immediate reaction was, “I need to go to the Gospels. There’s no way I can find comfort in the Old Testament right now.” Turning to the Gospels is encouraged! What was off in my thinking at that moment, though, was my heart posture. I saw the Old Testament reading plan I was following as not what I needed—and in doing so, I treated it as somehow less important or less capable of offering comfort.
At the time, I was in 2 Kings. Isn’t that full of war, rebellion, and political drama? Yeah, no thanks—I needed comfort in my grief.
But God proved me wrong.
I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to stick with my Old Testament reading plan. And guess what passage He had waiting for me—perfectly timed with the heartbreak of my miscarriage and the grief I was experiencing?
Take a look:
2 Kings 4:8-17 (NIV)
8 One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9 She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10 Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.”
11 One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12 He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.” So he called her, and she stood before him. 13 Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’”
She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”
14 “What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
15 Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16 “About this time next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
17 But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
A couple of things I want to clarify: this encounter in the Bible wasn’t directed at me personally, obviously. The Bible was written for us as Christians, but not to us. However, the Lord absolutely knew I would read this passage during a time when I needed examples of how a season of waiting or loss can be redeemed.
God introduced me to a woman from thousands of years ago to relate to in this moment in my life. A year later, I also happened to have a baby boy in my arms. 🥹
I seek relatability and community when going through trials, and this passage taught me a few things:
- Since the beginning of time, mothers have experienced loss or seasons of waiting for their God-given children.
- God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He redeems. He keeps His promises. He loves us. He answers prayers. He meets us in our valleys.
- Grief and trials shouldn’t prevent us from doing His work—in fact, trials are often a part of doing His work and are necessary steps in our walk with Him. Clearly this woman was waiting for a child but it didn’t stop her from serving. What a wonderful example!
- We shouldn’t expect earthly rewards for serving others and walking with Him. Yet, because of His grace, He does bless us on Earth with children. Having children is one of the most intimate ministries in growing the Kingdom of God!
I hope this story encourages you to see that the entire Bible matters. Yes, some sections are dense and not immediately relatable. But the Bible isn’t designed for relatability—it is designed to reveal God. And the Lord is living and active, and so is His Word. Scripture is God-breathed, and through it, He will give you hope. Your consistency in His Word matters.
Lastly, remember— “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14 ESV). To the woman waiting for a baby, or grieving the loss of a baby or young child: you are seen by Him, you are loved by Him, and your story is not over. Your child is alive in Heaven. Heaven is for eternity. Our time here on Earth is temporary.
Janessa Shyda 