“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

How is it possible that what started out as a simple letter to my miscarried child, has turned into a full blown ministry?
Sharing the letter and my baby’s photo led to dozens of unassuming hearts being touched. Which then gave power to starting a blog and serving at a Pregnancy Center. From there, I was asked to speak at Women’s Retreats and eventually even interviewed on a KKLA Radio Program.
Now, on the 28th of this very month, I will be leading a Miscarriage Support Class entitled: In His Arms. It is being hosted by Shepherd Church, in Porter Ranch Ca. and will have ongoing 6-week sessions. There is no written text book or neatly packaged reading material with a convenient accompanying study guide – Just my story of loss and God’s Grace over my life.

So with nothing but my Bible to guide me, I set to work on a curriculum for this quickly approaching class. I opened to a verse I had recalled in Jeremiah 1:5 that read: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.

I’ve always been in awe of how God knew that Jeremiah would be a “prophet to nations” before He even formed him in his mother’s womb. And now, after holding my 13 week old baby, I understand that there must be a reason for every life God knits together, not just Jeremiah’s.

According to this verse… God doesn’t find a purpose for our life after we are born. He knows each of us and already has a plan in place prior to our conception.

Wow! So why did God create me?! – let alone a baby that would never survive outside of the womb? How do I know my purpose in this situation and what if I mess it up?
As I pondered the weight of this concept, I felt a nudge to read on. Here is Jeremiah’s response to the Lord’s appointment of him in Jeremiah 1:6
“Ah Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.”
Wow, seriously?! It was as if my very own fears and anxieties had been recorded in this most ancient of books. (I totally get you, Jeremiah.)
I couldn’t wait to hear what the Lord had to say to me Jeremiah…

Jeremiah 1:7,8
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am only a child’. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you,” declares the Lord.

These words were like a thousand bricks being lifted off my shoulders. I never asked to be heard by anyone but Him. But much like Jeremiah, God brings the people He wants to hear. (After all, He brought you to this blog post.)
Okay, I’m feeling better about leading this ministry. God is in charge of sign-ups and if Jeremiah shouldn’t fear the “nations of people“, I should not be afraid of a possible room full of them.

There is just one other thing, Lord… Every mom in that room will have had their own unique experience at different stages in their pregnancies. How do I speak the words, that individually, these moms need to hear?

So how do we apply this to our own lives? …When we uproot our pain, He empowers us to tear down walls, which then overthrows the enemy by destroying our own insecurities. (you don’t need self-confidence when you have God-confidence) We can then build others up by planting God’s love, grace, and mercy in their hearts. I know these words were said to Jeremiah, but isn’t it possible that God intends them for all who are willing to trust in His name?

And speaking of names… after a year of being asked, “did you give your baby a name?” I finally found the perfect one …Jeremiah, meaning God will uplift.

Jeremiah to me is a reminder that God doesn’t create a life without a purpose. And if you allow Him to be Lord of your life, He will equip you to carry out the very purpose He has for you.

May God’s purpose be fulfilled in me and in little Jeremiah too. Amen