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It is hard to put into words just how incredibly honored and privileged I feel to be working in the role God has called me to at Bridgehaven. The people I have met, connections and relationships which have been built, and the families and people God still has in store for me to walk alongside with in the future. I have to tell you though, the journey we are about to embark further on as a ministry has already given me a deeper sense of humility, trust, and awareness of His presence like I have never known before.
First, I want to take some time to recognize the importance of this month, and especially this day, as we honor Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day today. We know there are so many families who have had to walk this incredibly heartbreaking path. We want you to know we grieve with you. We recognize how heavy that loss is to process. We know there are no words that can ever take away the pain or sorrow you feel with not having your child here on earth with you any longer. We see you and we know that sweet little life mattered, too. We know there will never be anything to fill the void in your heart from losing your child, but we want you to know we celebrate that life with you and honor their memory.
In honoring each unique life which has been created by God, at Bridgehaven we have followed His lead into a sacred and special journey through a new program called Take Heart. Through this program, we offer a caring and safe environment for families as they navigate the path following a miscarriage or a fatal prenatal diagnosis which will result in death prior to or shortly after birth. Our desire is to provide them with both practical guidance and compassionate care as we honor the lives of their pre-born babies. No matter how small and no matter how short, we know how very loved and valued each of these lives are.
The name Take Heart comes from the book of Matthew where, in multiple instances, Jesus spoke these words to instill hope among their circumstances.
- Matthew 9:2 – Jesus heals the paralytic
- Matthew 9:22 – Jesus heals the bleeding woman
- Matthew 14:27 – Jesus walks on water
Each of the stories remind us of the isolation, pain, and doubt experienced in different aspects of life this side of heaven, especially the loss of a child. We believe “Take Heart” will be a name that will evoke sensitivity, trust, and hope to those served through this arm of our ministry.
We have already witnessed God at work this year through meeting with several families walking this challenging journey. Dr. Stephen Pedron (MBA, MD), Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at UnityPoint, works closely with families throughout their pregnancies and has an incredible heart and passion for helping families navigate through some of the most incredibly difficult news they will ever hear. Through his referrals, we have already met some of the most courageous, selfless, and awe–inspiring parents who have said yes to whatever God has in store for their little ones and their families, with whatever time they have with them.
We want you to know that if this is part of your story, we are here for you. You don’t have to stay silent about your sweet baby whose life was gone far too soon. You don’t have to walk this journey alone.
Heavenly Father, we humbly come before You, and we ask for Your presence to be known to those who are grieving today. Lord, You know it is difficult to express the sorrow we feel with not having so many of these little ones here on earth with us. We know You are the One who can always comfort, who will always be there even when we don’t understand, who will help to ease our pain. We ask You, God, to hold those little ones close in Your arms and protect them in Your care. Lord, we thank You for giving us people in our lives who will walk with us through a journey such as this one. We thank You that we never have to walk alone. It is all in Your son’s name that we pray. Amen.
