Think, Dream, Observe
Around this time last Sunday, one week ago, I was thinking of going to help with the children's fellowship at church. The fellowship was a fun time. The kids sang songs, played games, and ate cheese toasts. I amazed them with my skill with a hula hoop-how to drop it, and my ability to make cheese toasts-how to burn them.
I got a call to go meet my family at the emergency room. The very brief phone call began one of the longest and most difficult weeks of my life.
How normal life can be one minute and how chaotic it can be the next. How quickly smiles and laughter can turn to sadness and tears.
I am a thinker, a dreamer, an observer. During this time of loss this week I have thought of things past and present and future. I remembered the celebrations when a young baby boy's life began. I have thought of all the dreams for a young child's future that will never come to pass. I have observed such a variety of reactions to the death of this baby, some similar to everyone else's- what one might expect, and some different from any you could really think, or dream, or imagine.
The day before the day this difficult week began, Saturday, my husband and I were discussing death. I had visited three young people at the hospital that morning who had been involved in automobile accidents and were in CCU. I told my husband I was connected to all three in a roundabout way and felt God intended for me to reach out to these families and I must do what God calls me to do. I told him one child was doing better, one had hope of complete recovery, and one wasn't doing so well and could possibly die.
This is when the death discussion began.
He said, "You know when children die they go straight to heaven. Children aren't ours, they really belong to God. When a child dies we all cry, but we shouldn't really do that, because they are going to a place where they will never have to go through any of the evil, hurtful things, no more sickness or pain ever that we have to go through down here on earth. God is just letting them come on back home before they have to face all the bad things we have to face down here. He just loves them. You know how much we love our kids and if we could keep them from going through bad things we would. God is just keeping His kids from having to go through a lot of bad things when they die and go to heaven. He loves them."
Now, this simple conversation may not be that amazing to you. But if you knew my husband, it would seem amazing to you. He is not a thinker, or dreamer, or an observer, not even a talker or discusser. He does believe in God, but very, very seldom discusses Him with me or anyone.
So you see when my husband shared these simple thoughts, I believe it was God preparing me, and him as well, for the death of a grandchild that we would have to face 24 hours after the simple conversation took place.
I guess the point of this writing today is obvious. Appreciate every happy moment. Know how temporary life here is. Learn to listen carefully when God prepares you in the most unexpected way for unexpected things that may come to pass in your life.
Children are always said to be gifts from God, but remember, though He gives them to us to think of, and dream big dreams for, and lovingly observe day by day, they really belong to Him always.
We all do. Our lives are in His hands.