In Faithfulness, He Afflicted Me by Lynnette Kraft

 I know, O Lord, that thy judgements are right and that thou, in faithfulness hast afflicted me."  Psalm 119:75

Lynette Kraft has lived through every parents nightmare - the death of a child.  Except that she has gone beyond, and lived through the deaths of three of her nine children.  She grieves her children, and yet, through her great trials, she has found victory and happiness again.

Husband Kyle and Lynette Kraft began their marriage as good but unsaved people who looked for happiness by accumulating material things.  It was during Lynett's first pregnancy that they became Christians.  Lynette quit her job so she could stay home with her baby, even though they did not know how they would manage on one salary.  But God was faithful and provided for them in some special ways.  Son Jared was.  Just after Jared's first birthday, Lynette was pregnant again.

But during the thirty second week of Lynette's second pregnancy, a sonogram revealed a major problem: their baby had anencephaly, a neural tube defect that affects the development of the brain and skull.  The Kraft baby did not have a brain and was missing the bone at the top of his head.  His birth defect was not compatible with life.

The doctor suggested aborting the baby, but the Kraft's did not consider this.  As they prayed for healing, God brought people into their lives who gave them comfort and helped guide their emotions.  She was advised to love the baby while it was alive in her womb.  And since she knew that was possibly going to be all the time she would have with this baby, that's exactly what she did.

Two weeks after it's due date, the baby was born.  Lynette's mother suggested naming him Samuel, after the Samuel in the Bible, knowing they would soon be giving him back to the Lord.

When Samuel was still alive at five days old, the Krafts decided to take him home.  He lived for thirteen days, and died as his father prayed for him.


Less than three months after Samuel's death, Lynette learned she was pregnant again.  Although she was a bit fearful after this losing Samuel, sonograms done every few months didn't show anything wrong.  Soon, baby Abigail was born.  She was plump and cute and the Krafts were thrilled with her.

Eleven months after Abigail's birth, Lynette was pregnant with baby number four.  Josiah Kent was born, and it was soon apparent something was wrong, as he had trouble breathing.  The baby was rushed from the delivery room, and soon the devastated parents learned  that baby Kyle had a diaphragmatic hernia.  Surgery was done the next day to correct the problem, but Kyle's lung was under developed, and five days later, he died.

Baby number five, Cecily Kate was born, healthy.

Then Lynette was pregnant with baby number six.  She worried, because it was the even numbered babies she lost before.  And sure enough, baby Anna was born blue and they learned she had heart problems.  Anna had surgery when she was three days old, and again at nine months old.  After a scary complication, they were able to bring fragile Anna home.
The Krafts had moved to an old farmhouse, and soon lived a life of milking goats, raising chickens and getting Anna healthy.  Lynette fought feelings of fear, and one of those fears were another pregnancy.

When Anna was two years old, that pregnancy happened.
Healthy baby Silas was born, followed two years later by a healthy baby Jonas, the first even numbered Kraft baby who was born without problems.  Life went fairly smoothly until January 19, 2004, when fragile Anna suddenly died in her parents bed.

The rest of the book deals with Lynette's journey to healing.  She tells vividly how it feels to be a grieving parent.  We get to read some of her journal, as she tries to find her way through the agony of loss.  She tells of the day her children told her they were worried about her because of her strong desire that Jesus come back.  She seemed to want to leave all the time, they said.  She cried and determined that she would desire to live again, that the children left in her arms were a wonderful enough reason to want to be alive.

The books ends at the first anniversary of Anna's death.  The Kraft family put up their Christmas tree that day, and every January 19the from then on, just like they did the last day Anna lived on earth.

This is a wonderful book about faith under fire.  It will inspire and convict you.  Lynette also has a blog where she writes about her family, including little Harrison who was born after the book was written.  It's joyful and happy.  Visit it here.