Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: if either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? ... A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Attending my very first Umbrella Ministries conference, although God impacted me in ways I have a hard time describing, I was not desperate in my grief at the time. My daughter had died over thirty years before that conference. But, I kept returning to Umbrella Ministries and I kept finding ways to serve because when I was desperate in my grief, when my arms physically hurt with their emptiness, when I fought to push away the darkness, and the heaviness of the darkness just kept crushing me – when all of that and much more tore apart my days and my dreams – the grief support Umbrella Ministries was offering to moms at that first conference, was non-existent. I saturated myself at that first conference with the comfort that comes from both God and others. And in realizing the incredible healing that can come as one who has journeyed a path of grief reaches out to someone who is just beginning or who has never had another’s hand and heart to hold, I then did become desperate – desperate to share God’s hope with others, desperate to lift someone else up, desperate to help someone else stay warm with God’s love.
Michele too became desperate, and I want you to hear her story, and hopefully be able to download the stories of still others that are attached to this email. From Michele.....................
I have just come back from a trip to Uganda, Africa, to share Umbrella Ministries with mothers who have lost children in that country. It all came about because of Pastor Patrick Okabe who visited Southwest Church. He is from that country and has an orphanage and churches that he has started. Pastor Okabe and his wife shared with Daisy that they had recently lost their seventeen year old son. They both felt like this ministry would help the women in their church. It wasn’t long before Daisy had made some contacts with women who saw the need and decided to fill that need. They provided the funds and before I knew it, my husband and I found ourselves on a plane headed for Uganda. I have a group of moms who meet at my home twice a month to share our hearts with each other after our loss. I felt like I wanted to take them and their stories with me to Uganda. They each mounted a picture of their child on a piece of paper and shared their stories for me to take and share with these moms from Uganda. I was able to read each story to these moms. I did not know this, but after the conference they walked up to me and had a surprise for me to bring back to my moms. They too wanted to share their stories with us. I would now like to share their stories with each one of you. As you will see, the heart of a mom who has lost a child is the same no matter where you are from.
And you can read the stories of the moms in Uganda if you download the attached pdf. Two are better than one. One can help the other up. But how can one keep warm alone? ... A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
