Today I’m pleased to introduce a special guest and good friend, Kristin Lemus of  The Beautiful Deep.  Kristen has written a truly beautiful book, Empty Arms, Hope-Filled Heart: A prayer of hope and healing for the mother who has lost her child.

I remember the perfectness of his sweet little round head and his red clenched fists as the nurse held him up for me to see.  He was perfect in every way but was so very tiny.  I didn’t know why I held so tightly to the image of my son at that moment but it was as if my mind wanted to lock it in and never forget.

That was the moment before the tubes surrounded him and wires were attached to him. It was before the heat lamps shown on him and he lay looking weak and still.  He looked so different now.  He responded to my voice and his vitals got better when I touched him, which melted this mother’s heart.All these years later I still hold onto the memory of the perfectly formed tiny baby boy that was mine.  He was born at 25 weeks and lived an incredibly short 6 hours before he died.

I didn’t know that the loss of a child could hurt so much.  As the grief came I wasn’t sure how I would ever make it.  My arms felt so empty and my heart so heavy.

As I grieved I prayed a prayer that has since been answered.  I knew that I would always miss my son.  That my heart would long for him at times and that tears would fall on his behalf, probably for the rest of my life.  But I had this deep desire to be whole again.  To not be stuck.  I asked God to heal my heart and do a complete work to make me whole again.

And He did.

I went on a journey of hearing God speak truth to my heart about my loss, about how God sees loss and where He is in it with us.  He highlighted scripture for me and showed me His immense love for us and how near He is when we grieve.

It took time.  Some of it wasn’t pretty.  Sometimes I just wanted to hold on to my wounds. But I had prayed the prayer for healing and God was faithful.

Now I can truly say that God has healed my heart.  So much so that I believe that the life I am living deeply honors the son that I lost in that I don’t have all of these wounds that keep me from becoming all that I was created to become.

This is my prayer for every woman who has lost a baby or a child.  Whether she lost the baby through a miscarriage, stillbirth, infant or child death. Whatever the circumstances there is healing available.

Because of my experience I wrote and eBook called Empty Arms, Hope-Filled Heart: A prayer of hope and healing for the mother who has lost her child. just for moms who have experienced a loss.  The book is a prayer from my heart for her.  It is a prayer of hope and healing that shares truth from God’s Word to meet her right where she is at in her grief and pain.

If you have lost a child I would encourage you to read the book.  Let God do a work in your heart to heal you and help you to live up to your full potential without wounds that weigh you down.

You can find the eBook here and a paperback version is also available {and makes a great gift for friend you know who has suffered a loss}.  I pray that  will be made whole again  and that your life is full and rich.