{Review} Isaiah’s Story: It’s about more than just loss

{Review} – I received a free copy of Isaiah’s Story in exchange for my honest opinions.

One of the positive things that has come out of being a loss mom is the other moms I connect with. It doesn’t matter when or how our children left this world – we all felt their loss deep within us and were forever changed.

One of the hardest things about being a loss mom is seeing other moms get ‘stuck’ in their grief. While grief is unique to each loss mom and there is no timetable for it, I do think that it is possible to handle it in either a positive or negative way. And that way determines a lot. 

That’s why I’m excited to introduce you to a fellow loss mom, Jennifer Ross. She has taken her grief and shared it in a way that will help fellow loss moms – and even those who are just struggling with their faith – see through to the other side. She also brings light to the unfortunate way that grief divides people, which is one of the things I personally try to do myself. It’s books like this that will help bridge the gap.

They slowly trickled back to their own lives, leaving me with many thoughts and aches to carry on my own. I felt abandoned, and I locked the door to my heart.

In Isaiah’s Story, Jennifer shares about the loss of her son Isaiah at just over 19 weeks pregnant. What she went through would bring any reader to tears, but how she handled it – with deep faith, honest emotions, and a love for Isaiah that went beyond words – will inspire you to look at your demons and begin the journey to overcome them.

And here’s the thing – she doesn’t make it sound easy. She is raw and honest and real. She felt every ounce of pain, and she brings you in to that most private moment and lets you feel it with her.

For once, I had an understanding of how someone could want to give up. To let go. To die… I had nothing left to give. I had given my all, my son. All I wanted to do was avoid feeling anything else. No pain. No sadness.

And while she turns to her faith, she doesn’t get overly preachy. She simply shares what helped her get through.

I have never felt so broken in my entire life, but at the same time, I never felt so close to the Lord. He held me as he had cradled Isaiah. If my faith were ever to be tested, the time was now. I didn’t have answers, and yet, I still trusted.

Throughout the pages, Jennifer connects with the reader through not only her own pain, but also through motherhood. Losing a child is any mother’s worst nightmare, and facing the possibility, even through someone else, is unbearable. While it may be hard to read, it’s also uplifting. To know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that you can survive, is a comfort that will stay with you after you close the book.

She also leaves the reader with an understanding of what it means to move forward. It doesn’t mean you forget. She urges the reader to understand that “a mother doesn’t stop being a mother upon her child’s death” and that each loss mom is simply trying to put the pieces of her heart back together. But she also shows that it is possible to move forward when she explains, “Had I not experienced the loss of a child, I would not have chosen this career/ministry path. The loss of my son has changed me, and in a way, my life has become his legacy. God always uses our ashes to bring beauty.”

But I think that my favorite takeaway from the book, something that all parents can relate to, is this: cherish the time you have with the ones you love. Every moment matters. Every second is precious.

Buy a copy of Isaiah’s Story.