www.sadandchara.blogspot.com
It's so very encouraging, and yet so very sad, to be able to read Chad's blog, both before and after the events of last week. Chad began his blog, "Our Little Secret" immediately after learning that he was going to be a father--last summer. He and his wife, Sara, had been trying to conceive for over 16 months, and finally, she became pregnant. Chad then proceeded to chronicle his wife's pregnancy, his feelings, the doctor appointments, videos of the ultrasounds, etc. It is a very sweet testimonial to a much loved wife and daughter. Although Chad hadn't yet met his daughter, later to be named Miranda Evangeline, he wrote as though he had.
August, 4, 2010
We got to hear our babies heartbeat this morning. Everything sounded good to us and good to the mid-wife doing the exam. She confirmed that we're at 11 weeks which means the shrimp is a little over 1.5 inches long now. Just a couple more weeks and everything that makes up a baby will be there. The mid-wife said that after about the 13th week it's mostly just growth, with little development of new parts and pieces.
and then, the car accident (just a week before Miranda was due to enter this world)...
February 6, 2011,
I lost my best friend of over 15 years yesterday. She was taken from this Earth far too early. Knowing that she is resting is Jesus loving care doesn't begin to address the emptiness and hurt that I feel today.
and...earlier this week, when Miranda passed into Jesus' arms...
As I prepared to hold my darling daughter to my chest this evening, I was terrified that I would break...literally break...into pieces. My fears were unjustified. The hand of God so reached down and touched me, that I was able to sing my sweet angel into heaven. That peace stayed with my while I bathed her. It covered me like a deep blanket of snow while I dressed her for the first time. It kept a smile on my face while we took pictures and I was able to introduce her to her extended families without all those wires and tubes sticking out of her. You are all responsible for that peace.
God's miracle to me was giving me strength beyond my own. Endurance that I could never have mustered. Helping me carry my daughter proudly down long, silent corridors as we approached the gathered family and friends who were singing upon our arrival.
God's miracle to me was giving me strength beyond my own. Endurance that I could never have mustered. Helping me carry my daughter proudly down long, silent corridors as we approached the gathered family and friends who were singing upon our arrival.
and then today's entry...
Chad posted the text from the memorial that he read at her funeral yesterday. Below is an excerpt.
Because of this I want to tell you who Sara really was. She described herself the best back in 1983, at the age of 7, when she wrote a short, but poignant letter to Jesus. “Lord, I pray that you will make my heart loving and kind…”
In Miranda’s short life, she never said a word. She never cooed, or gaa-gaaed. She never crawled or took a step. And yet, because of Miranda, a chord has been struck in the heavenly realms and its reverberations will be felt for eternity. Thousands have joined together in prayer, setting aside spiritual and philosophical differences to lift up one small girl, her mother, her father, and their families.
Because of this I want to tell you who Sara really was. She described herself the best back in 1983, at the age of 7, when she wrote a short, but poignant letter to Jesus. “Lord, I pray that you will make my heart loving and kind…”
God answered that prayer, tenfold. Love dripped from Sara’s pores. Kindness was at the heart of everything she did. As an adult, an unkind word from Sara was such a rarity that it was shocking. And it was usually followed by something positive just to make up for it. Sara’s gift was living her life with the spiritual purity of a child. She didn’t make the mistake of trying to make her Christianity into something that was too complex. For Sara the rules, set by her parents at a young age were simple: Be kind. Don’t do things to other people you don’t want to have done to you. That is who Sara really was. Sara was love. She lived love. If you want to do something to remember my wife, the greatest memorial would be to live life like she did. Be kind to one another, and don’t do things to other people that you wouldn’t want to have done to you.
I'm not writing this to make anyone sad, but rather as a testament to Chad's devotion to his wife, daughter, and to Jesus Christ. Through his grief, he remained steadfast, knowing that God had everything under control. Even though he doesn't and can't see the big picture, he knows that God knows. This is also a testament to Sara, whom Chad has described as, 'pure kindness.'
Tomorrow is Valentines Day--the day that we typically focus more on love than any other. May the love that Sara lived out, be lived out in your life. May people be able to say of you that you lived out the word, 'love,' just as Sara did.
The Blessing
Let it be said of us while we walked among the living
Let it be said of us by the ones we leave behind
Let it be said of us that we lived to be a blessing for life
And let it be said of us that we gave to reach the dying
Let it be said of us by the fruit we leave behind
Let it be said of us that our legacy is blessing for life
This day, You set life, You set death right before us
This day, every blessing and curse is a choice now
And we will choose to be a blessing for life
Let it be said of us that our
Let it be said of us that we spoke the words of life
Let is be said of us that our heritage is blessing for life
'Cause blessings and curses are choices
Will we build up, tear down? The moment of truth is now
For your kingdom, for our children
For the sake of every nation
For your kingdom, for our children
For the sake of every nation
We will choose to be a blessing for life
And...Please remember to pray for Chad, Sara's family and Chad's family. That the grace of God be upon them, that Chad is especially able to feel and experience God's loving, comforting arms around him during these dark days, that he knows that he is loved, not only by the Savior but also by his many friends.
If my blog is able to bless even 1/4 of the amount of people that Chad's has, I will be truly happy. Be blessed as you begin your week.
No comments:
Post a Comment