Guest Post – Pregnancy Loss & Thankfulness

Guest Post by Jenny Lorton – I am thankful to bring you another amazing, inspiring story for Jenny. She previously shared her triumphant story about surviving polio. Now Jenny bravely shares her experience in losing a precious gift from God… her baby. I pray this story brings you comfort and peace in whatever you might be going through.

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In the spring of 1979, the holiday season looked to be a fun-filled adventure.  My husband and I received word that we were being transferred to Subic Bay, Philippines.  He had just finished a tour in San Diego, CA, and we were looking forward to another sunny beach side location for the next couple of years.  And after seven years of trying, I had just learned that I was finally pregnant.  I knew in my heart that this was a miracle from God.

At 29 years old, I was ecstatic!  I had wanted a baby for so long.  Babysitting for up to seven or eight kids at a time was routine for me when we were in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  People even thought some of the kids were mine when I took them shopping.  At that time, oh…how I wished it were so!  All of my friends and neighbors were having children.  The doctors could not even find a reason for me to not get pregnant.

In San Diego, I was so thankful.  Even morning sickness was a blessing.  But after only a few weeks on the ground in the Philippines, I had a miscarriage.  It was a horrible experience in many ways, especially down deep in my soul.

Being away from family was hard.  But the military life on a small base in a foreign country means that you get close to those other families who are stationed overseas with you.  And they rally around you and give support in good times and bad.  Which they did.  As an anecdote to my miscarriage, my husband suggested that I apply for a civilian job on the base so that I would keep busy and not dwell on losing the baby.

Working definitely helped, but the closer the holidays got, the lonelier I got.  I thought I was doing really well coping with my loss.  That is, until one of my husband’s co-workers held a Christmas party.  The wife was pregnant when we arrived in the Philippines, and I was looking forward to having her as a friend when we both gave birth.  She was due a few months before me and had given birth about a month and a half before the party.

While at the party, everyone was admiring and passing the baby around, something everyone does with a newborn.  The baby was a beautiful little girl.  I was standing near her kitchen when someone handed the baby to me, not thinking twice about it.  All I can remember was looking across the room at my husband.  He took one look back at my face and almost flew across the room to catch the baby as she was slowly slipping from my arms.  I hastily sped to the closest bathroom in tears.  So much for being over the loss of my baby!

I will state right now that I believe in miracles.  I know that God touched me and put His arm around me when I fervently prayed to get pregnant while we were in San Diego.  And I can honestly say that it was a miracle that I was given the strongest feeling that my baby was a boy.  There have been many instances in my life where I can say that I have experienced miracles in my life.  But the best of all, by far, is the one of my child.

You see, I know for a fact that my child is with a living, loving Father.  “Let the little children come to me. . .”  Matthew 19:14 says.  God knew my child even before he was formed in my womb.  “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart…”  Jeremiah 1:5.

And I know that, as long as I “come before Him with thanksgiving…” Psalms 95:2, and believe that Jesus was raised from the dead and is the Son of God and ask Him into my life to be my Savior, I will be reunited with my child in heaven. 

This is not your typical thanksgiving story, but every year at the beginning of the holidays, I remember those for which I am thankful.  And that includes my child in heaven.  Forever.  Thanksgiving. 

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Jenny is a retired civilian finance manager from the Air Force where she worked for 24 years. She resides in Warner Robins, Georgia with her husband and 3 dogs. In her spare time, Jenny is an artist and avid crafter. She enjoys helping and sharing the bible the others. A life-long dream has always been to write.

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