On Angels Wings

Psalms 91: vs 11-12

'For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone'

Welcome back. If this is your first time visiting, you've come to the right place. Whether you're a newly grieving parent, or some time has passed since your loss, you have my deepest sympathy. Feel free to share this page if you'd like.

I don't go into too many details of my son's passing because the circumstances were so not normal (in fact I don't even think I could explain it well.)

I would however like to share a little of the journey in the hope of encouraging you. When I stood at my son's grave for the first time.  Just me. Alone. On a Good Friday. After having traveled across the country to get there.

We think we know how we'll react to the challenges we face in life don't we? To my knowledge I'm unaware of a single person who has ever been able to make that claim when faced with the actuality. And I was no exception. By myself, alone, in a strange cemetery, so far removed from Pennsylvania, I didn't think I'd be able to hold up. My precious friends back home had their cell phones on 24/7 in case I needed them. But what happened at my son's graveside was so far beyond anything I could've imagined.

This is where the angels came to my rescue. I fell apart, they carried the burden. I dropped to the ground, they held me up, I felt like I was flying out of my body, they pulled me back in, softening the shock. I believe they were all around me. They stayed with me the entire journey. God made very aware that I was not alone.

When we are in Christ we never are. And in extreme circumstances God will go to the extremes to make Himself and His angels known to us.

I'm praying for you today

Until next time,

Blessings,

Mary Netreba


Photo taken California












 

Celebration of Life

Matthew 5:4   'Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted'


I read recently of a child who from the moment he was born was on borrowed time. His parents, instead of dwelling on the inevitable decided to make the most of every moment they had with him.

When I went into my Facebook Page today, I found out their little one passed on.  While their hearts are broken, what amazed me was how they decided to handle it.

'A Celebration of Life'  

A beautiful tribute to the short time their son was on this earth. a tribute to the joy he brought to his parents and those that loved him.   And to a new 'life everlasting' in Heaven, where he and his parents will be reunited one day.

But I know the days to come will be filled with challenges like no other. There is no schedule for loss. Grief ebbs and flows. So do happy memories.

My prayers are with them through the journey. May I ask that yours are also?

Blessings,

Mary Netreba

The List of 'Firsts'

Isaiah 40:31 KJV

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings as eagles; they shall run and not faint.

Hello again and welcome to One Breath From Heaven.

It wasn't long into the journey of being a grieving parent that I began to recognize not only was I in the minority, but life and how we live it began to look different too.

Most of us think that grief is expressed by crying and if you cry enough, eventually it will  all go away. Not always.

Even doing the most mundane things such as making the bed, washing the dishes, or cleaning house or anything else for that matter have one thread in common.

After a loss, everything we do is a first; from the first breath on, almost as if having to learn all over again. It feels awkward, unfamiliar, and at times, impossible, doesn't it?

I wish I could tell you the number of times God lifted up through those moments.  Where would we be without Him?

You are in my prayers. Till next time,

Blessings, 

Mary Netreba




 

Left Behind

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future


Can you remember a time in your life when you felt left behind? Perhaps you were held back a grade in school while your classmates moved ahead. Maybe it was a job promotion that you just knew you were going to get but at the next company meeting, the coveted advancement was given to someone else.

Being left behind doesn't feel good does it?  And dealing with the sense of abandonment while trying to move forward can be discouraging.

I can't speak for other parents who've lost a child, but I suspect many of us wonder why. Why my child God?  Why not me instead?

Why would God take a son or daughter and leave the parents behind? Ecclesiastes 3:vs -2 comes to mind; 'a time to be born and a time to die'.

One day the answer came to me out of the blue. I don't know why in the world I didn't see it before.

When we're 'Left Behind' I believe it's because He's not done with us yet.  We are still fulfilling God's purpose.  Which can only mean that when a loved ones dies, they've fulfilled His purpose in them.

May you find comfort today.

Blessings,

Mary Netreba