Dear Friends,
Thank you for the love and support you have shown for Nathan and me, our families, and our Susannah. We so appreciate your prayers for us.
This past year has had its difficulties and our hearts have experienced much sorrow. Yet through it all we have experienced God’s faithful, loving care.
You have been a part of His care for us. Your prayer support and kind posts have been such a blessing.
When I was hospitalized and on magnesium sulfate, we heard from you – you were praying for us and our baby. Through the 5 weeks of bed rest you prayed. When Susannah was born, you prayed. As we held her and longed for her to wake up, you prayed. When she left her earthly shell and we returned home with empty arms, you prayed. Even now, 3 months after her birth, I know that some of you are still praying for us. So many times when we haven’t had the strength to pray, you have prayed for us. Thank you!
Many of you also posted that you have gone through similar trials. It helped to know while experiencing the suffocating effects of magnesium sulfate that others had gone through it too (and lived!). While on bed rest I learned from others that had experienced “normal” and “bed rest” pregnancies that I would feel exaggerated symptoms (that made sense). After Susannah was born and all of us were focused on her, many of you thought to ask how I was doing and how the birth was. Nathan and I had just experienced our first birth together – it was a special experience and, praise God, a natural birth. When we left the hospital after Susannah’s death feeling rather lost in the world, I thought, “People will quit praying now.” We got to the hotel room (We weren’t quite ready to go home), and Nathan read the posts to me – you were still praying for us! During the week of Susannah’s visitation service and funeral, you continued to pray, and asked how I was doing physically. I was feeling quite worn out, but God gave the strength for those days just as He had done for the previous ones.
As news of Susannah’s passing reached you all, you shared how you had loved our baby too and that some of you had experienced a similar loss. You cried with us and it meant so very much!
It has now been 3 months since Susannah was born. Life continues. Nathan and I are doing well. I feel pretty much back to normal physically. I haven’t returned to my previous extra activities, but am enjoy keeping house and spending more time with Nathan.
This has been an incredible journey. God has so faithfully cared for us through it all. We praise Him!
With gratitude,
Melanie
We will continue praying for you and Nathan. The Lord is great and can help heal all wounds.
Melanie,
Thank you for sharing how you are doing. You and Nathan have been on our hearts and are so thankful for an awesome God who provides what we need, when we need it, even when we don’t feel like it. We will continue to pray for you and Nathan. God bless you for being such a wonderful light of God’s love even in the most difficult of situations.
Oh, sweetheart…we love you and our heart aches for your heartache. God is good!
Melanie, it was so good to hear from you! I wish you could really know how often you, Nathan, and your family have been on my mind! I think of you so often and I continue to pray for you! You have not been forgotten!!!!! I am so sorry that you’ve had to go through all of this, but I am so thankful to hear how the Lord has met and continues to meet you along the way! May His love and faithfulness continue to be so very evident and near to you! And, may you always know that you remain in many people’s hearts and prayers! It was a delight to hear from you…thank you for letting us know how you’re doing.
I still pray for you as the Lord brings you to mind, which is quite often. I know it will take time and it sounds cliche to say that time heals. I don’t think that time heals, but God does, and I know that while you will never forget your precious daughter, He will give you strength to go on and even more, He will give you joy. God Bless you and Nathan, your love and faithfulness in the face of such sorrow is a true testimony for Jesus Christ.
So glad to hear from you, Melanie! I continue to pray for your family as the Lord brings you to mind.
I do think of you often and pray for your rest and peace. I’m glad you let us know how you are doing. You and Nathan are such examples of how God provides and comforts even during the unimaginably hard times.
God bless.
I pray for you daily (and Nathan) and think often of your sweet Susannah.
My dear friend, You are always in my thoughts and my daily whipsers to our Heavenly Father. You are so beautiful inside and out! Your strength and courage (I know it is God given) are humbling and uplifting. I love you so very much- I thank you for letting me be a part of your life.
If you ever want to travel to Korea . . .
Thank you so much for the update. I have often thought of you and wondered how you are doing. I continue to pray for you and ask the Lord to comfort you during these difficult days. May He keep you and bless you through this time and for all eternity.
Melanie, so good to hear from you. I still often think of you and Nathan and continue to pray for you.
You are so often on my heart. I cannot thank you enough for allowing us all to share in your journey and burden. May the Lord richly bless you, and give you the comfort only He can. We have not and will not forget precious Susannah, nor will we stop praying for you.
Grace,
Mae in VA
You will continue to be in our prayers. It seemed for me after the homegoing of our daughter that the weeks and months that followed were at times harder than when we were in the valley of death with her. God’s grace is wonderful. We pray that you will feel His love and compassion for you both.
We’re still praying….everyday. Keep trusting Jesus everday.
We love you.
I have been wondering how you were doing. Thank you so much for sharing. You will remain in my prayers.
In Christ,
Tiffany
Melanie, I am so thankful that you took the time to share your heart again and write an update on how you are doing. I think of you often and pray for you and Nathan. We experienced a miscarriage in December of last year, and so the home going of little Savannah was very close to my heart. God has been faithful to put you on my heart several times in the past few weeks, so I could be praying for you all. We named our little one that we miscarried, “Israel” which means, “God Prevails!” Isn’t that so true of our wonderful Heavenly Father. I would never have asked to walk the road of grieving for our baby we never held, but I am so thankful for the amazing comfort we experienced from our Heavenly Father and the rich soothing balm of His Holy Word as it ministered to us during that time, and continues to do daily. We will keep praying for you as you continue to rely on God’s strength to walk day by day.
May God’s Comfort Envelope You,
Jennifer in FL
Melanie,
What a blessing to hear from you! Thank you for sharing with us. We pray for you, Nathan and your whole family during our family Bible time. It will be good to tell the children what you have shared. Susannah Joy has a spot in all of our hearts, as you both do as well. We will continue to pray!
Stephanie and family
melaine,
thank you so much for letting us know how you are doing. you and nathan are both in my prayer book, and in my prayers daily.
blessings, mrs. mari
Good to hear from you, Melanie. May you continue to grow more in the love and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will continue to heal your hearts. Psalm 147:3 – “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”
Blessings & prayers,
Theresa
Dear Melanie,
Of course you will stay in my prayers!! You are a special woman, indeed, and give us inspiration.
Thank you for updating. I too have been on a road very similar to where you are walking right now. Always remember that God is faithful and He hears our cries. May He continue to bring healing to you–both physically and spiritually. Know that we all continue to pray.
With much love and prayers,
Kim
Melanie, you continue to be in my prayers. The Lord has used you and Nathan to create an eternal soul that has impacted many lives, yet I realize that it is so very hard not to have that little soul with you. I pray that God will continue to provide comfort and healing for you and your family. You, your husband, and precious Susannah have so richly blessed my life, along wih many others. I pray that you will be richly blessed in the Lord as well as you continue down this difficult path and that you will be filled continually with the hope and comfort of our Lord.
With much love,
RebeccaB
It is amazing, because the Lord brings you to my heart often. I always believe that when you think of someone, it is God’s way of telling you” Pray for them!!” So, yes, I have been praying for both of you, and your extended family.
I pray for the hope, the hope in your future no matter what He has in store for you. But may it be beautiful. ~madeleine
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for the update.
You are both still in my prayers.
May you know
“When though the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow:
For I will be with thee in trouble to bless;
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress”
Sarah
I was just sharing your story the other day at a homeschool fair with someone. I pray for you all daily and am so glad to hear how you are doing. I can’t imagine but know God gives the grace and strength in our darkest hour, and you show He has done just that. May the Lord continue to strengthen and comfort your hearts. You all are special to me and my love is with you both. Tracey
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for your gracious and kind words. It is wonderful to read how the Lord has tenderly carried you and Nathan through this valley. I continue to pray for you, and consider it an honor to do so.
Love in Christ,
Sarah in Ga.
formerly MomtoTreasures
We are still praying for you all! God Bless!
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for sharing your heart with us! Your testimony of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is encouraging and humbling to me. I will continue to pray for you and your husband.
(((Melanie)))
Continuing to lift you and Nathan up to our Heavenly Father.
You all are still in my prayers.
Melanie, it is only by the Lord’s grace that you were able to write so candidly and to share about His continued watchcare over you in these hardest of times. I cried as I read and prayed and we’ll continue to lift you all up.
Dear Melanie,
Thank you for sharing! Our Heavenly Father truly comforts and heals the broken hearted. Often, I pray for you and Nathan and will continue to do so. May God continue to richly bless you.
Love in Christ,
Amy
I want you to know, even know you are being prayed for. I know Gods plan is bigger than we could EVER imagine. Though the journey look dark, God has great things for us, farther up ahead. It is only when we Keep our eyes on Jesus (as the two of you are doing) that we truly know and see that.
May the Lord continue to show himself to you, and hold you close.
Melanie,
I was so happy to see your post. I will remember to pray for you and Nathan. Big sister hugs to you, hon. You have walked at a young age places where some of us never travel. God bless you.
Dear Melanie,
Please know of our prayers for you and Nathan; we pray for His continual guidance and peace. God bless you…
I will continue to pray for your family.
God Bless you for sharing your story with all of us.
It is so good to get an update from you. You have been on my mind and in my prayers so many times. My heart has ached for you and I have cried for you and with you.
May God bless you as you continue to heal. I am so happy that you are leaning on Him and trusting Him to take care of you.
Your sister in Christ,
Julie
I’m glad to hear you are feeling well physically – giving birth can take months to recover from. And I can’t imagine what it’s like to lose a baby.
You just keep right on resting and enjoying your life at home – no need to rush back to extra activities until you want to.
Oh Melanie, I am wiping tears from my eyes reading about Susannah. But I do know God is soveriegn and awesome. I had a miscarriage 2 years ago and I am so comforted by the fact that the baby will never suffer any pain. And I actually got pregnant shortly after and now I have my 3rd healthy child who turned one on July 24 this year. And what a blessing that has been. I also had to take magnesum sulfate for almost a whole day. It is very much a blur to me, now. But thank you for your openess. I am still teary eyed over your story.
Love in Christ, Carolyn
Melanie,
I am praying every day for you that God will continue to heal all your wounds.
My friends’ just recently had a miscarriage, and feeling that from a friend’s POV was so hard, but having to expeirince it directly…I can hardly think of it.
In Christ,
Amy
Melanie and Nathan,
You both have been in our thoughts. Our family has been wondering how you are doing. We are praying for you this morning. May our Lord continue to give you comfort. Your testimony is such an inspiration.
Thank you for being willing to share with the rest of us.
Cristal