Why mud and mire?

My name is Naomi. I have been married to my wonderful husband for nearly 8 years. We have 3 beautiful daughters and one faultless son. Our daughters are 5, 3, and 1. Our son in heaven safely in the arms of Jesus. Or maybe my grandma, Aunt Jae and Aunt Karen are taking turns snuggling him. Either way, he's well cared for. I am starting my blog because of my experiences with losing Jonathan. I'll share more about him as time goes on. One thing I have learned during the past months is that unless you've been through this, you really could never understand. I hope you, dear reader, never really understand. This leads me to why the name of my blog is Out of the Mud and the Mire. So...

After we lost Jonathan, my cousin gave me a couple verses. The first one really hit home for me at the time and I read it over and over. It was Psalm 69:1-3. "Save me, O God, for the floodwaters are up to my neck, Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; I can't find a foothold. I am in deep water, and the floods overwhelm me. I am exhausted from crying for help; my throat is parched. My eyes are swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me." As I said, I read it again and again over the next few days. Finally, I decided that I needed to cling to a verse of hope, rather than to the one that perfectly described where I was at during that time. Don't get me wrong, she gave me the perfect verse. I read it and said, "Yes, this is what I feel!"

I began reading through the Psalms. From the beginning. I figured that the Psalms are a book of hope and God's promises, so it shouldn't take long to find a verse of hope for my despair. I found it at Chapter 40. I really think that helps describe my feelings. Nothing in Psalms offered me hope for 39 chapters. But, Psalm 40:1-3 had the answer. "I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord."

Well, if that isn't the answer to 69:1-3. I now cling to Psalm 40:1-3. When I'm having a sad day, I remember that God has set my feet on solid ground. This journey is not over, I will continue with this journey as long as my feet are on this earth