Ours
What does miscarriage mean for Christian men? Ours, by Eric Schumacher, brings Biblical comfort for men grieving miscarriage.
Biblical Precision and Tender Care
Having experienced 3 miscarriages, Schumacher writes with Biblical precision and tender care. The devotional is written around the book of Luke. This book, like Luke, opens with the fact that God knows about our specific sorrows and suffering. “A book about Jesus opens with a story about a couple that could not have children.” What a profound note!
The book goes on to tackle subjects such as grief, uncertainty, and trust. I was most surprised at Chapter 5, that speaks of our need for repentance. Schumacher knows we must honor Christ in our miscarriage, but admits we sometimes make mistakes in our coping. Lashing out in angry words, demanding too much of our loved ones, envy, bitterness, and anger are all sins that must be confessed.
Comfort and Ressurance
Chapter 6 gives a direct answer to the question: Does God know what I’m going through? “God knows what it is to experience the death of a child. That means that he can identify with you in your suffering.” This means that for those who have experienced miscarriage, God has not forgotten or ignored you. In fact, Jesus is forever a Son, and God is forever a Father. Schumacher gives comfort and reassurance in that God knows and cares.
This book is not afraid to face the hard realities of suffering. Along with despair and mourning, anger is a common response for men. The book tackles anger in Chapter 11, and Schumacher shows us how the Lord leads us to love even our enemies. We can put a rest to our resentment. By looking at Jesus, we can behave out of grace by blessing others.
Husbands and Wives
Schumacher does believe that “miscarried children go to heaven at death and will be raised on the last day with glorious bodies.” And he places his hope on the firm promise that Jesus will wipe all of our tears away. Death shall be no more. This gives hope to those who grieve, and we eagerly await for resurrection glory.
By looking at Jesus, Schumacher shows that husbands can care for their wives by showing mercy, taking notice, serving, affirming, and comforting. Schumacher also looks at sex, resolving to show love to our wives as they would want to be loved — and valuing her comfort ahead of our own.
Christ Our Hope in Life and Death
Discussion questions and prayer prompts are included at the end of each chapter. At the back of the book are several appendices, including Understanding the Medical Side of Miscarriage by Jenn Hesse, How to Grieve by Brian Croft, Loving Your Wife: Nate’s Story by Nate Wilbert. The proper end of the book closes with Jesus’ promise of peace.
This book is a must-read for men who have experienced miscarriage. Wives will understand the unique struggles their husbands experience. Pastors and leaders will learn how to minister with compassion. And Christ will be championed as our hope in life and death.
I received a media copy of Ours and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.