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Never Forsaken: God's Mercy in the Midst of Miscarriage
Miscarriage and infant loss can leave you overcome with grief—a sadness that drives you into yourself, convincing you that no one knows your pain.
These nine stories of others who have suffered miscarriage and infant loss will encourage you to look to God’s Word for hope. His Word will offer you the comfort and joy that only Christ can bring.
Our heavenly Father remains present, merciful, faithful, and compassionate. You are never forsaken. God’s mercy is yours through the work of Christ Jesus in your life . . . and in your baby’s life.
These nine stories of others who have suffered miscarriage and infant loss will encourage you to look to God’s Word for hope. His Word will offer you the comfort and joy that only Christ can bring.
Our heavenly Father remains present, merciful, faithful, and compassionate. You are never forsaken. God’s mercy is yours through the work of Christ Jesus in your life . . . and in your baby’s life.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
Published August 1, 2018
3 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2018
There are so few resources to offer hope in the midst of the loss of a child. The author kindly offers not only her story but those of other moms and families who have endured this kind of loss. I LOVE that element of storying. Weber offers a much needed, open and honest resource for a type of loss culturally we push under the rug. In offering her story and recognizing the many, many dynamics that reveal themselves when a child is lost, Weber begins an important conversation. This book will be helpful if you’ve experienced your own loss, or for the individual or congregation that wants to respond better to the mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers all around us who mourn, while still rejoice, with their child, in the arms of Christ.
February 25, 2021
This is the best book I've encountered that deals with grief, especially grief for infant children whose lives here on earth ended too soon. It does not approach grief with a maudlin, "it's OK" or "God needed them more" approach but honestly approaches the issues of theodicy, faith, and how God and the Church care for us--and how we can care for each other. Each chapter focuses on a different issue, features one woman's story, and concludes with a Bible study session. Throughout it all is woven the theme of God's mercy and the Lutheran viewpoint of death. Highly, highly recommended.
March 24, 2022
Reviewed by Mary Lou Codman-Wilson, PhD, Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Christian Education, Buddhism
Review
The book Never Forsaken, God’s Mercy in the Midst of Miscarriage by Kathryn Ziegler Weber is an excellent resource for all those who grapple with the suffering, doubts and grief caused by death. The specific context of the book is infant loss, infertility or miscarriage, but the lessons are applicable in the larger areas of loss and grief. Weber, and the other women who share their stories in this book, are deeply immersed in the Lutheran tradition, a foundation which provides a deeply Christological perspective throughout. Weber herself miscarried and is honest enough to expose all the painful issues that are wrapped around this heartbreaking experience - the anger or shame felt by the grieving mother, the hurt caused by others’ insensitive words, the problems of self-doubt, fear, and false hopes, the issues of identity and status, and the “vicious cycle of unanswered questions [about God’s very character] that revolve in one’s head “ (p.15). To cope she kept reaffirming the truths about God from the Apostles Creed and Scripture. She records this prayer: “With feeble voices, we continue to recite the promise we have in the Apostles Creed. And with tear-filled eyes, we search the Word of God for our comfort. We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. And if that is all that we can cling to at this time, then it is enough to know that we are never forsaken” (p.13).
Since the depth of grief caused by miscarriage is often misunderstood and the advice to “just get over it and press on” minimizes the emotional and mental issues women with loss face, this book is a welcome resource that combines the truths in both Scripture and psychology that can bring hope and healing – not just to the grieving women themselves but to all those who try to help or sustain them. Weber also includes a substantial section at the end of each chapter with a summary of that chapter, a large section of Scripture discussion and reflection with study questions, a section called personal reflection, a prayer and homework. This makes the book excellent to work through in a small group.
Her concluding prayer at the end of the main portion of the book shows the heart with which she writes:
Gracious heavenly Father, You calm our doubts be being our anchor to cling to and confess in times of grief and loss. Be with us no matter what doubts consume us and shake us. Keep us firm in You and always looking not only to the saving work of Your Son on the cross but also to You as our Creator and the Sustainer of our faith. Bless us and keep us steadfast in Your Word, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen” (pp.141-142).
Review
The book Never Forsaken, God’s Mercy in the Midst of Miscarriage by Kathryn Ziegler Weber is an excellent resource for all those who grapple with the suffering, doubts and grief caused by death. The specific context of the book is infant loss, infertility or miscarriage, but the lessons are applicable in the larger areas of loss and grief. Weber, and the other women who share their stories in this book, are deeply immersed in the Lutheran tradition, a foundation which provides a deeply Christological perspective throughout. Weber herself miscarried and is honest enough to expose all the painful issues that are wrapped around this heartbreaking experience - the anger or shame felt by the grieving mother, the hurt caused by others’ insensitive words, the problems of self-doubt, fear, and false hopes, the issues of identity and status, and the “vicious cycle of unanswered questions [about God’s very character] that revolve in one’s head “ (p.15). To cope she kept reaffirming the truths about God from the Apostles Creed and Scripture. She records this prayer: “With feeble voices, we continue to recite the promise we have in the Apostles Creed. And with tear-filled eyes, we search the Word of God for our comfort. We believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. And if that is all that we can cling to at this time, then it is enough to know that we are never forsaken” (p.13).
Since the depth of grief caused by miscarriage is often misunderstood and the advice to “just get over it and press on” minimizes the emotional and mental issues women with loss face, this book is a welcome resource that combines the truths in both Scripture and psychology that can bring hope and healing – not just to the grieving women themselves but to all those who try to help or sustain them. Weber also includes a substantial section at the end of each chapter with a summary of that chapter, a large section of Scripture discussion and reflection with study questions, a section called personal reflection, a prayer and homework. This makes the book excellent to work through in a small group.
Her concluding prayer at the end of the main portion of the book shows the heart with which she writes:
Gracious heavenly Father, You calm our doubts be being our anchor to cling to and confess in times of grief and loss. Be with us no matter what doubts consume us and shake us. Keep us firm in You and always looking not only to the saving work of Your Son on the cross but also to You as our Creator and the Sustainer of our faith. Bless us and keep us steadfast in Your Word, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen” (pp.141-142).
October 3, 2018
“We are never forsaken in the midst of our suffering and loss. God’s Word provides us with comfort and assurance that He is surely with us, even while we pass through the fires of life.”
In this devotional book published by Concordia Publishing House, Deaconess Kathryn Ziegler Webber explores the journey of grief for women who have experienced early infant loss. She draws upon her own experiences and the experiences of eight other women as they talk about about their journeys of grief and finding hope and comfort in the Gospel of Christ. She guides her grieving reader through the questions, the doubt, the shame, the hurt, and the loneliness and points us to the cross of Christ where we receive the only true comfort and hope: the comfort of God’s mercy because of His Son’s death and resurrection.
I read this book as a grieving mother and also as as deaconess. This is not an easy book to read, because we experience and hurt along side nine other mothers.
For those of us that read this book as a mother who has lost a child due to early infant loss, no matter how long ago, the stories are so similar that we read it as if it is our own. But we are not left without hope as we read. There are devotions, scripture, and hymns to comfort us along the way helping us to heal and look towards our loving Savior.
As a deaconess, I have looked forward to this book to be published. It is a much needed resource to use with grieving mothers (and fathers) who have lost their young children.
To all the pastors out there, I recommend this book as well. It helps to provide the prospective of women who have had early infant loss and can help give you the words, scripture, and hymns to help care for grieving couples in your congregation.
We are not alone. We have a loving Savior who intimately knows our grief and we have sisters in Christ who weep with us in our loss as we look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
In this devotional book published by Concordia Publishing House, Deaconess Kathryn Ziegler Webber explores the journey of grief for women who have experienced early infant loss. She draws upon her own experiences and the experiences of eight other women as they talk about about their journeys of grief and finding hope and comfort in the Gospel of Christ. She guides her grieving reader through the questions, the doubt, the shame, the hurt, and the loneliness and points us to the cross of Christ where we receive the only true comfort and hope: the comfort of God’s mercy because of His Son’s death and resurrection.
I read this book as a grieving mother and also as as deaconess. This is not an easy book to read, because we experience and hurt along side nine other mothers.
For those of us that read this book as a mother who has lost a child due to early infant loss, no matter how long ago, the stories are so similar that we read it as if it is our own. But we are not left without hope as we read. There are devotions, scripture, and hymns to comfort us along the way helping us to heal and look towards our loving Savior.
As a deaconess, I have looked forward to this book to be published. It is a much needed resource to use with grieving mothers (and fathers) who have lost their young children.
To all the pastors out there, I recommend this book as well. It helps to provide the prospective of women who have had early infant loss and can help give you the words, scripture, and hymns to help care for grieving couples in your congregation.
We are not alone. We have a loving Savior who intimately knows our grief and we have sisters in Christ who weep with us in our loss as we look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.
September 26, 2024
This may offer hope to SOME who have suffered a miscarriage but this was gifted to me after losing our young daughter and I couldn’t even finish it! In their defense I think because we also had miscarriages before losing a living child, the person who gifted it may have thought it would fit but it just did not.
June 12, 2025
This is a great Christian resource for someone who has experienced miscarriage and infant loss.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews