Friday, January 13, 2012

Ungrateful

I am so ungrateful.

Today, even as much as I love my children, I am not as grateful as I could be. I take for granted that my boys are healthy, that they will run (or crawl) around and play all day, that they will laugh and cry, that they will be here tomorrow. We are never guaranteed a tomorrow, and some parents face a reality where that knowledge looms much too close for comfort in regards to their own children.

Please take a moment to pray for Baby Tripp and his family. You can read their story here, but you might want a box of tissues. I've been following the blog off an on for a while now, and it looks like Baby Tripp is very close to going home to Heaven to be with God. He will be pain-free for the first time, and will have a perfect body, and be in the presence of the Great Physician, who will heal all that has been broken for his short little life. Those left behind will mourn, but not mourn as those who have no hope. I pray that you, reader, know Jesus and may grieve for/with this family, but also have the hope that they have. Remember, there was once another mother and father (and Father) who know that their son would die, the son who defeated death that we might have hope in eternal life with Him.

As I was reading the blog entry above, I cried (and forgot my box of tissues). Weslee came over, wrapped his arms around me, and said,
"Mama, you need a hug. I love you."

Of course, I cried more. Then he stepped back, looked at me, and said,
"Mama, I love you this much (holding his hands a few inches apart). No, wait, I love you this much (his arms open more). No, Mama, I love you THIS much!" And he held his arms open as far as they would go and gave me a big hug.

I did the same, and told him how much I love him, but I don't think he or his brother will ever really understand how much that is. It's the kind of love where it hurts to think how short life really is, and the kind of love that transcends to hurting for another mother who knows it so much better than I do.

I will go to bed tonight, without much concern that my children will wake up- one probably several times before dawn- but I will hug them a little tighter and longer, and kiss them a few more times. I will lay them down and pray and cry for another mother and father who will not sleep with that same assurance tonight.

I ask that you would join me in prayer for Baby Tripp and his family, and that you, too, might forget about all that other stuff in life and be just a little less ungrateful with me.


But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
-1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

1 comment:

Mrs. Sewell said...

Very well said, my friend.

SDG!

Crystal <><