Your Questions...His Word (post 2) AND a Giveaway!

Welcome to day two of our new series where we will be delving into questions/topics from our "mommies" that are addressed by His Word. Please be sure to read the details of this series and the associated giveaway here. Also, please note that you can comment on any of the posts within this series at any time. Each comment will enter you into the drawing or the giveaway. If you are not comfortable commenting, please post "anonymous" and if your name/comment happens to be drawn as the winner, I will post your comment and ask you to email me individually with contact information, so that your identity can remain confidential to the readers. Thanks, read on, and comment away....

Our next question/topic that we will tackle is: Will I see my baby again?

This is a question that we have all likely pondered in the aftermath of our loss. Some of us may reply to this question with a resounding, "Yes!" but then it's quite possible that a flood of additional questions fill our mind, such as: What will he/she look like? Will he/she be a tiny baby or a child? Will I be able to take care of him/her in heaven? Or you may even pose this heart wrenching question that I have often pondered when thinking about my precious Chloe's physical abnormalities: Will I recognize her and/or will she recognize me? These are questions we may not ever know the answers to on this side of heaven, ladies.

In order to address the primary question of, "Will I see my baby again?," we have to break this down into three smaller questions:

1) What happens after we die?
2)Will my baby go to heaven
3) Will I go to heaven?

I will address each of these questions over the next few days, so stay tuned. For today, let's focus on the issue of what happens after we die...

We know from Scripture that upon death, we will face God. Our life on earth is but a vapor (James 4:14), particularly in comparison to eternity. We all have an eternity awaiting us, and according to the bible, it will be one of two places: 1) Heaven, or 2) Hell. Despite the serious nature of this blog in general, this particular post may be a bit heavy for some. It is necessary, however, to share what Scripture has to say about this important topic and truly a matter of urgency, because of the fact that our lives are but a vapor! Hebrews 9:27 says that we are "destined to die once and after that face judgment." Romans 10:14 reminds us that "we will all stand before God's judgment seat." Throughout Scripture, it is made known that we will all face God. Depending on where you are at in life, this may sound a little scary to you. Don't fret, my friends, there is hope for each and every one of us found in Christ Jesus! Do you have that hope?

The hope I'm referring to is the hope of the gospel. The word "gospel" itself means "good news." So while the fact remains that we will all face God and have to give an account of our time spent on earth, there is good news! The truth is that none of us can measure up to the standards God has. That's just fact! Romans 3:23 says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." This includes each and every one of us! There are no exceptions for any particular groups of people or denominations or those who have done all kinds of good works. The truth is we ALL fall short. Yet God, in his love and mercy for each of us has provided a way to Him and that is through His Son, Jesus. A verse that many of you are probably very familiar with is John 3:16, which says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 10:9-10 states that if we confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved! In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." This, my friends, is the heart of the gospel. This is the good news. Jesus is the way.

So, going back to the overarching question of "Will I see my baby again?" We must first understand that we will all face God and there is hope in the good news of Jesus Christ! Sadly, but still quite necessary to state is that many will not embrace this good news. Many will rely on their own good works or merit to try to earn their way to heaven, when we know from Scripture that "it is by grace we are saved, not works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Still, others will hear the good news and reject it maybe saying something to themselves like "that's just not for me." The truth is that the gospel is for every single one of us. Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us that God has "set eternity in the hearts of men." We are created by Him and for Him, but it is up to us whether we will surrender our hearts to the one He sent to make a way ~ Jesus!

We will come back to this issue of facing God when in the days to come we tackle the third question posed above, "Will I go to heaven?" For now, rest in the truths of the gospel shared above. It is my prayer that these truths penetrate your heart!

Any thoughts you all have about the "good news" is appreciated in the comments! Remember, each time you comment during this series, you will be entered into a drawing to receive a goodie basket that will include a Starbucks gift card, chocolate, and a copy of Becky Avella's new book, And Then You Were Gone: Restoring a Broken Heart after Pregnancy Loss.