Thursday, March 17, 2016

Halle - Rainbow Baby Session - Grand Rapids, Michigan Newborn Photographer

I first met Melissa through the IF: Gathering at Providence CRC two years ago - where she bravely shared her next steps of faith after losing her daughter Mira. Through her pain Melissa has started a beautiful ministry for other mother's who are facing infant loss. Below is a little about Melissa's story, in her words - as well as a few highlights from her beautiful rainbow baby Halle's session.


Leaving the hospital after losing my precious baby was the hardest thing I have ever done. On June 17, 2014, my arms were empty. I had gone through labor and delivery - but I didn't get to take my sweet girl home.

The morning before I gave birth to Mira Grace, I received a package. I was blessed by an organization that had sent me a teddy bear and keepsake book. God's timing is amazing - that package wasn't supposed to arrive for weeks yet. But I got to take that teddy bear to the hospital. I held it during labor. I held it as I had to watch the nurse walk away with my baby. I held it as I was wheeled out of the hospital. I still hold it when my arms feel empty and I’m missing my sweet baby girl.

In loving memory of Mira Grace, I am working on a project: Mira Bears. I am collecting teddy bears to be handed out to other families who experience the loss of a child, either through a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, at local Michigan hospitals. I pray that God would use these bears to provide comfort to others who are traveling this heartbreaking journey. I pray that along with physical comfort, each bear would also share of God’s constant presence, His amazing love, and His indescribable peace that they will need in the days ahead. 
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Mira has impacted my life in many ways; she has taught me so much over the last two years, and continues to do so daily. God has used her to impact many others for His kingdom as well. And I praise Him for that! Although I will always miss her and wish she was here in my arms, I praise God for blessing us with her life, no matter how short it was. A piece of my heart will forever be in heaven with her. She is our beautiful miracle, in so many ways. She is forever a part of our family, never forgotten or replaced.
This journey has been and continues to be a delicate dance between grief and joy, pain and gratefulness, falling and learning to stand again, over and over. It has been such a blessing to watch God work in our lives, in our family. Although the heartache of losing and missing Mira will never go away, I can’t begin to describe the amount of joy and gratefulness that God has restored in our lives through the precious life of Mira’s little sister, Halle. She is truly our little Hallelujah! All praise and honor to God for first working His healing power in our hearts and then blessing us with the promise of another precious life. Our hearts are so full,  overflowing with gratitude and praise.
Halle is the youngest of three daughters in our family – she is loved here on earth by oldest sister, and watched over from heaven by Mira. I can’t praise God enough for blessing our family so abundantly, for His healing and restoration, and for never leaving our sides.

All praise to Him , in both the trials and in the joys. Hallelujah!













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