My Own Family Experience With Child Loss

My Own Family Experience With Child Loss

My wife and I lost three children between our two girls (I have a 12 and an eight year old). My youngest daughter, Christine, we consider a miracle because after being tested medically every possible way, my wife and I were told that there was no known medical reason for the losses and just attributed the failed pregnancies to fate. 

After these sad experiences, I began to think more on this subject. I remembered that, in fact, I had an uncle who I never knew because he died in the 1930’s after living only two days. His name was Otis Martin.

I can remember my dad talking about his brother, who he never knew. He used to mention Uncle Otis from time to time in his ministerial teachings on occasion when it was relevant. Dad often would talk about his mother and how she spoke of Otis just as if he was one of her three children who lived and grew up, but Uncle Otis did not live and grow up.

So, I began to think more on this issue and I began to ask questions. I also began an intense study and here I began to develop an outline based on some of the teachings I had learned from my father when he was alive. Some of what you will read in this blog comes from the mind of Ernest L. Martin, who was my dad and my teacher to which I have added my own thoughts and proposed ideas.

What I have added to some of his ideas are what I would call a touch of pastoral ministry. This is because my father, while he was a serious Bible scholar, he was not a pastoral minister. He approached the Bible in a very respectful but academic way.

That does not mean he was cold hearted and did not wish to minister to the souls of people, but he just was not built for that type of ministry. So, when I began my own ministerial work, I promised myself that I was going to use the things I had learned more in a pastoral sense. To this I have added what I call my specific and practical approach. I am interested in addressing specific questions that people have and to focus on answers which have a practical application in helping to better the daily lives and circumstances of all people. 

I have tried to do this because I believe there are so many people out there in the world who are asking questions about their loved ones, especially their own departed children, born or unborn. There is so much pain that people, especially mothers, are carrying because they just do not understand or have good answers from the LORD on this issue and it disquiets their souls.

I have read post after post from mother’s who have lost children in particular and they don’t know 100% down deep in their souls where those dear children are and what will happen to them. They know that God is love, but we have so much cultural baggage and so much wrong teaching and isolated text grabbing which many well intentioned people present as God’s truth which just adds to the confusion and lack of comfort.

I hope in some small way, this blog answers some questions about the future of all of our loved ones, especially those little ones who never saw light or whose time on earth was so short.

My father, when he was alive, urged me to take the things I learned from him (and others) and build on them. I am seeking to do that on this blog. I know my father would be pleased with this approach because it meets a spiritual need out there: a need for hope for our dear departed loved ones, especially those, like my own Uncle Otis, whose time under the sun was cut short. 

So, let the discussion begin.