Also by this author: Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God's Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage, What Are Hands For?, What Are Eyes For? Board Book, What Are Ears For? Board Book
on September 1, 2020
Genres: Non-Fiction, Christian Life, Devotional, Marriage, Memoir, Parenting
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Using Psalm 139, Abbey Wedgeworth walks alongside women suffering the heartbreak of miscarriage. Having experienced the sorrow of miscarriage herself, she acknowledges the isolation commonly felt and the impact that such an experience can have on faith.
The 31 biblical reflections in this beautiful and comforting book remind grieving women that God sees them, knows them, loves them, and is actively caring for them. These precious verses will show women that God can bring comfort, assurance, protection, and purpose in the very sorrow that they are experiencing.
Includes personal stories from other women who have had experience of early pregnancy loss, encouraging sufferers that they are not alone.
In this gentle, life-affirming book, Abbey Wedgeworth shares biblical comfort and hope with other mothers who have experienced miscarriage. Wedgeworth designed Held as a devotional, organizing it around Psalm 139 and going through that chapter verse by verse, with personal reflections about how its comforting messages apply to miscarriage. Each day also includes other Scriptures to read, journaling prompts, and a quotation from a different hymn. She also includes testimonies from other Christians who have experienced miscarriage, spacing these stories throughout the book. These personal stories cover a variety of different experiences and life situations, and also include one testimony from a father’s perspective.
Wedgeworth writes with great sensitivity and empathy, and her theological reflections can help women take hold of what they know to be true in Christ, even when their world is collapsing around them. Because of this book’s basis in shared beliefs, it is specifically for Christian women, but it is accessible to women who are at different points in their faith, and does not presume a particular level of background with church or the Bible. She writes clearly and well about spiritual and emotional issues, and explores our beliefs about God through the lens of living as a bereaved mother. This book never falls back on meaningless platitudes, sentimentality, or fluffy inspiration, but helps women wrestle through their pain before God.
I appreciate the level of thought and care that went into every element of this book. The devotions are short and simple, remaining accessible no matter a reader’s exhaustion or cognitive range at the moment, and a woman can also read the devotions out of order if she wants to, based on whatever topic she most needs at a particular moment. The book is also attractive in its design, with a silky smooth cover, high quality paper, and a lightweight feel that would be perfect for curling up to read this on the couch or in bed. This book reflects the needs of its audience in a unique way, and also provides journaling space for those who want to put their reflections in writing.
Held: 31 Biblical Reflections on God’s Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarriage is a gift to Christian woman who are grieving pregnancy loss. This book is incredibly sensitive and reassuring, sending a message of God’s compassionate love without resorting to platitudes or dismissing the reality of suffering. I would recommend this to mothers who have lost babies, and to friends, family members, pastors, and counselors who would benefit from the biblical and personal perspectives that it offers. This is a high-quality resource that will help and encourage Christian women right now and in years to come.
