Week 107: Marriages and the Death of a Child
Please join us this week in praying for marriages that are dealing with the death of a child. Maybe nothing feels as abnormal and as out of the natural order as a child preceding parents in death. No parent expects it and no premarital counseling equips couples to deal with this emotionally charged occurrence. Though a child’s premature death can occur suddenly and without warning or after a prolonged illness, the end result is still a precious gift is gone. The effects of this loss can be devastating on even the strongest marriages. Married couples that experience such a loss may experience no deeper grief. Often this grief is accompanied by guilt, even when there are absolutely no grounds for it. Groundless guilt is exceedingly hard on individuals since there is no wrong to work toward correcting and no blame for which to seek forgiveness. It is a guilt without relief, and unrelieved guilt can destroy relationships. ...