I have never posted in here before so I guess I should kinda introduce myself first. My name is Ashley. I am 27, from TX, and married with 3 kids (DS-Zach T. age9, DSS-Zach R. age 9 and DS Xander 6 months).

There is a woman who goes to another message board that I go to that just told us that her 8 month old only has a few months to a week to live. I am so upset and sad for this woman. A good friend of mine recently found out that her 10 month old had a tumor on his spine and is doing chemo. I just can't imagine what these women are going through and for it all to happen right at the holidays. It has started making me wonder that if God is so good and wonderful, why is he taking this poor little baby from his mother and right at Christmas on top of it? It scares me. Everyone is telling the women that they are praying for them and all but I am kinda afraid to pray. I keep thinking that if I start praying and God takes the little boy anyway then all of my faith will be lost. I am just not sure how to handle it all and take it all in.

[Motherbird]

Wow, how very sad. I think the best you can do is to offer these women your kindness and friendship and let them take it in whatever way they are able to right now. As for prayer it is a little difficult to answer since my way of "praying" might be different from many others. When someone is in need, I usually envision them in peace and comfort and pray that they be filled with a healing light and that the light be used to heal in whatever way is possible and best. If the healing can be a physical one then hopefully they will overcome whatever ails them. Some cannot be physically healed and for those I pray they will find spiritual or emotional healing and I pray the same for the loved ones suffering the loss. I hope that these women and their children and families find strength and comfort as they go through such a difficult time. You can also include yourself in these prayers/meditations and envision yourself filled with love/comfort for yourself and for your friends.

Robin - your words are perfect here.. thank you for sharing that...

I have never posted in here before so I guess I should kinda introduce myself first. My name is Ashley. I am 27, from TX, and married with 3 kids (DS-Zach T. age9, DSS-Zach R. age 9 and DS Xander 6 months).

There is a woman who goes to another message board that I go to that just told us that her 8 month old only has a few months to a week to live. I am so upset and sad for this woman. A good friend of mine recently found out that her 10 month old had a tumor on his spine and is doing chemo. I just can't imagine what these women are going through and for it all to happen right at the holidays. It has started making me wonder that if God is so good and wonderful, why is he taking this poor little baby from his mother and right at Christmas on top of it? It scares me. Everyone is telling the women that they are praying for them and all but I am kinda afraid to pray. I keep thinking that if I start praying and God takes the little boy anyway then all of my faith will be lost. I am just not sure how to handle it all and take it all in.[/b]

Hi Ashley! It's a horrible situation for her, but also for your spiritual self. I can't offer too much advice about much but I do think is prayer can be what you can give or need it to be. Whichever greater power is there, I believe it will meet you at the same spiritual place you're at and allow you reign on your spiritual needs. (I dunno. I'm sorry if it's not much.)

What I can offer you is my positive thought/prayers for you and well as the person you're thinking about - and I will. (I'll wish your spiritual self's peace and strength within this tragedy.)
~ Michelle

Thanks for the help girls. The women I was telling you about with the 8 month old, he died today at 9:30 this morning. I am so upset. Why should she have to go through this, especially on Christmas day.

[Mr.Kyra656]

I too am posting on this particular forum for the first time, I'm Will from MI and I'm married with our first son who is 3 months old. Oddly enough, I visitted this forum considering asking about if anyone else had shared my feelings of their child's birth strengthening their spiritual beliefs. I'm Christian, but I hope that it wouldn't be too difficult for anyone of a different faith to reframe my thoughts below to fit their own beliefs.

If I may offer my thoughts, I do not believe God intends us to live our lives for ourselves, for there is a greater existance than this one. Surely this innocent life will be welcomed to the best there is in the life after this one, but perhaps it also serves a greater purpose in this life to someone other than the child whether it is apparent or not.

I believe that God gave his only son a life among us, and that the purpose of that life was for him to die. It was not for His son to suffer the death, but for the rest of man to be able to better follow the path to the joy of the life after death. And by that example, surely it must be possible to understand that death is not an end, but a new beginning.

We cannot always fully or correctly understand God's will. And when bad things happen, sometimes there might be good reason or reason we don't understand, or sometimes it may happen because someone has hardenned their heart and become lost to the way God intends. I believe God has actions happen through us, more-so than to us.

Thanks for the help girls. The women I was telling you about with the 8 month old, he died today at 9:30 this morning. I am so upset. Why should she have to go through this, especially on Christmas day.[/b]

I'm so sorry... We're here for you girl.

How are feeling today?

Thanks. I am feeling a little better today. With the holidays, there was just so much going on at once it kinda got me down. Things have calmed down now and I am handlings things a little better.

I'm glad to hear today is a better day.... take care.

[UndaCovaSis]

I believe things happen for a variety of reasons. I know yall prob won't agree, but I'll share.

THings might happen to purify a person of their sins in this world. The purification can take place during one's life, during his death, in the grave, or the hellfire. Another reason, is that you are being tested. This life is a TEST. If it was easy and a breeze, we wouldn't value the reward. Lastly, it might be a way to increase a person's reward in paradise and raise their status.

When you go through a trial, if you turn towards god instead of away from him, then you have actually achieved something great. It is usually when faced with extrem hardship that one doubts in his Creator.

The Qur'an says,
"Every soul will taste death. And we test you with bad and with good as a trial. And unto us you will return."

and in another verse,

"Do people think that they will be left alone because they say: "We believe," and will not be tested. And We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allâh will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allâh knows all that before putting them to test). "

"And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and lose of wealth and lives and corps; but give glad tidings to the steadfast. Who say, when a misfortune strikes them : Lo! We are Allah's and lo! Unto Him we are returning" Surah Bqra, 2,verse, 155 and 156

Prophet Mohammed said, "Allah tests the ones He loves." and this is evident

[HappyMommyof3]

Thankyou for that JustanotherMUSLimah. I think that was a wonderful explanation. We trust God in everything and dont ask Why things happen because God knows best. When we ask Why it leaves room for the devil to play with our minds and question our Lord. God knows best. May God ease her pain of losing her child and grant her heaven!

[Mod-Lady Valkyrie]

What I believe is slightly different but may also help us make sense of things at times like this. I am reading a lot into reincarnation at the moment and one of the ideas I believe in is that we have particular lessons to learn in order to grow and become a more complete soul at different stages in our evolution. It's not always to do with repenting for bad karma from past lives either, although that can be one of the reasons, but more often than not I think it is more to do with what that soul needed to learn in that particular incarnation. Souls looking to reincarnate on earth, after making their plan for the life ahead, will choose parents who are ideal for the lesson they need to learn. Maybe the parent has something to learn from the experience too - strength, loss, whatever it might be. Maybe the soul of the child, who had to learn their lesson by living a sadly short life, chose that parent BECAUSE they were strong enough to bear the grief and the sadness and still be a positive productive person, in time after healing, afterwards. Maybe in the long run the experience will take the parent's life in a whole new and beneficial direction, running a support group or researching into the problem that took their child's life being just two examples.

I am just trying to emphasise that it's not always about repaying bad karma, that there can be many other viable reasons without having to lose faith in a universal source, or God, whatever you choose to call it. The higher selves of the souls involved, and their guides and angels, and the divine all understand the reasons and hold them and try to 'nudge' the suffering individuals to take comfort and to see the purpose.

This does not in any way make the suffering of this family any less tragic or heartbreaking, and I send them positive energy and hope they will remember their 'plans' in this life and be able to move on in time after adequate healing. I cannot even imagine what they have gone through as I have not experienced grief of this intensity yet within this lifetime, but I still feel compassion for them and send them love. I really hope all the wonderful comments here have helped you feel more peaceful and strong about this. Sending loving thoughts.

[beck12]

I know others may not understand this - but I am ok with the idea of being angry & questioning God. Even Jesus said - My God why have you forsaken me? In painful times - you may feel abandoned & alone. Anger isn't necessarily about turning away & I will not deny my feelings ever - they are there because I was given them at birth. I also dearly love my Dh & at time he makes me very angry at times. It doesn't mean we divorce, it doesn't mean I turn away - it means we have some issues & sometimes it takes a while to work them out, but each & every time it has made our relationship stonger for the struggle. A plant grows a strong stem when it struggles in the wind. My beliefs grow strong as I struggle with them. I don't believe it opens a door to "satan" - for me it opens a door to better understanding. I just fight it out until I get there. I have had loss in my life & seen loss. I hate when someone tells me it's all part of God's plan - I kind of think thats pointless. It being part of anyone's plan doesn't help to ease any pain. The loss is still there. I still am missing something very dear to me & knowing it's part of some plan doesn't fill that hole. When I had my mc's lots of people told me that stuff & it only made me angry. None of the people that said that had been through it, but they thought they understood. I don't know what "God's plan" is for my life & I really don't care. Knowing he has a plan doesn't help me unless someone clues me in as to what that plan is. I just do my best each day to be as much at peace with as many things as I can. Those things I'm not at peace with - I work on. I have been angry with God - I am sure I will be again. I think for me it makes no sense not to be - how do you have a real relationship with anyone & never get angry with them for anything?

Just a thought.

I love the way you expressed that ~ thanks Beck!