Walking With You ~ January...Sorry I'm Late

Walking With You is an outreach of Sufficient Grace Ministries. We are a group of mothers who have lost a baby or child, who gather together each month to share our stories, to encourage, and pray for one another as we walk this path together. Our hope is that you will be comforted when you join us here...and maybe that we can offer some grace for the journey as we look to the Lord for comfort and strength.

I'm so sorry I'm late with this post. To tell you the truth, I've been struggling with where to go with this. And, I still need some time to decide what's next. I've been considering doing a bible study, such as Threads of Hope, Pieces of Joy. Or, maybe even creating our own study. But, I'm not sure yet.

For this week, I'd like to focus on something else that's been on my heart. I'm having a hard time finding the right words (not something I often struggle with!). What I want to focus on is praising God, no matter what our circumstances. There is great beauty, after all, in praising Him even when it hurts...praising Him in the storm. The reason I'm struggling to find the words is that I know how deep the valley of sorrow is for a parent who has lost a child, and I don't want to diminish that pain with my words. Sometimes when you're hurting so much, it is enough just to get out bed and brush your teeth. It may seem like a tall order to ask someone who is that devastated to praise God. Yet, that's exactly what I'm doing. If you're here for Walking With You this week, I'm asking you to take some time and praise God. See if it doesn't make a difference. I'm not saying life will be perfect and all your pain will be gone, but it may just change your perspective. I know, it always changes mine. Many times, I have traded hopelessness for hope in moments of tearful praise, weeping on my knees alone before my God.

The thing is, there is great power and comfort in praising God. Somehow in the act of focusing on who God is, there is a healing and strength. Somehow, in that place of praise and worship whatever we are facing doesn't seem so big and formidable in the presence of Almighty God. Even now, many years after those difficult days of thick grief, sorrow, and even moments of bitterness...nothing restores me quite like a time of praise and worship. All that troubles me melts away as I focus on Him instead of whatever weighs heavily on my heart. It's not a place I can live all the time. I wander and wallow. I try to fix things in my own strength. I hide my hurt and avoid dealing with it in many ways. But...when I give it all to Him...In those moments I spend praising Him, there is sweet relief. Those moments are precious and real and valuable.

I pray in a Moms In Touch prayer group, and we use the four steps of prayer: Praise, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Intercession. Many times, I have entered MIT feeling bogged down, defeated, and overwhelmed with the cares of this world. I have even felt too unworthy to approach His throne room, too unworthy to lift my voice in the presence of other mothers. Then, as we spend time focusing on an attribute of God and reading His word, I am humbled. I am humbled and lifted up...all at the same time as I feel everything else melt away. My struggles are no match for the God we serve. It's really a good thing that confession comes next...because reflecting on who we are compared to who our God is, and realizing all the ways we fall short, and the beauty of the grace, mercy, and forgiveness we are given comes quite naturally. We spend our confession time in silent prayer. Then we spend time in Thanksgiving and Intercession. But, I must admit, often by the time we get to the interceding part, I feel as if God has already lifted those burdens that weighed so heavily on my heart when I entered. They always seem so much smaller after focusing on who He is.

O.K....I've gone on and on, and I really just wanted to make this a quick little post. So let's get to it, shall we? Let's take some time praising God for who He is, because no matter what we may be facing, our circumstances cannot change our steadfast, mighty, unchangeable God. If you would like some ideas on attributes of God, please click here: Moms in Touch website Attributes of God list. There are, of course, many more. These are just a few. I'm going to choose an attribute to praise Him for and share it in this post. You can choose the same or choose a different one, if you'd like to join in praising the Lord, even in the midst of grief, on your own blog. If not, that's fine too. And, if you'd like to share your thoughts, but do not have a blog, you may always join in by leaving a comment.


I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
~Psalm 34:1-3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
God is our Comforter...

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
~Psalm 23:4

Lord, I praise you that even in the valley of the shadow of death, You are there. Death holds no power over You. Even if I walk in the darkness of death's shadow, You are with me. Your comfort is there as a shepherd comforts His sheep.

Unless the Lord had been my help,
My soul would soon have settled in silence.
If I say, "My foot slips,"
Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up.
In the multitude of my anxieties within me,
Your comforts delight my soul.
~Psalm 94:17-19

Oh, Lord...without Your help, I would've given up in hopeless defeat. My foot often slips, and every time, your mercy is there to hold me up. Even in the midst of my anxieties, your comfort brings joy to my weary soul...Praise you Lord...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
~II Corinthians 1:3-4

Father, I love Your Word, love the beauty of Your truth, and the hope of your promises. Praise to you, the God of ALL comfort...the Father of mercies (giving us what we don't deserve). You are faithful to comfort us in ALL our tribulation...nothing is too big for you, NO pain is too deep, no sin is too dark, no heart is too broken, no soul is too lost...for You. You are able to comfort us no matter what we face. And, even more...You have given us to one another, those who have walked this path...that we may not walk alone. You have comforted us so that we may comfort one another with the comfort we received. Great is Your love, great is the comfort and grace you give...Thank you Lord for comforting me. In the name of Jesus I pray...Amen.



I hope you'll join me in praising the Lord this month. It really does change one's perspective. No, it doesn't erase the pain of missing your sweet child, but there is comfort in His arms. And there is a beauty and healing in praising Him. It takes our eyes off ourselves and focuses our eyes on God. Singing praise and worship songs can also bring great, soothing comfort. You can just pick one verse if you'd like, and it can be on any attribute of God.

This post is getting a little longer than I meant it to, but I just want to say that I am so grateful for each of you. And, it is a great privilege and blessing to me to be able to walk with you in any small way.