A Time to Mourn

thoughts from Renee

‘I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John) This is my hope and dream for all of my children. Emily Grace is with Jesus, she is walking in the truth and with the Truth. I do not yet have the joy. Maybe it’s there underneath all the sadness, emptiness and feelings of being lost. But I know I will have joy again. And I know I will worship Jesus alongside Emily. Someday.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die,
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to be silent and a time to speak…

Funeral Announcement

The funeral/celebration service for Emily Grace will be this coming Sunday, June 15, 3:00pm at the ___________ Church. We welcome anyone who wants to be there. If anyone needs directions you can email us at __________. Blessings, Joel.

Good-bye Emily Grace

We love you. You came through surgery yesterday, but this morning your heart gave out. We watched you drift away under the hands of the doctors and nurses who crowded your room. We wept at your departure, sliding our hands under your lifeless body. Jesus holds you now. We finally got to see your face and hold you close, but the warmth had left you. For hours we held you and let the waves of grief crash over us. Don't worry - we still believe in the One into whose face you gaze. He never left us either. We came back in the evening with your brother and sister and grandmother. I know it sounds crazy but we drove around the hospital seven times, singing praises, preparing to petition for your life again. We know Jesus could have restored your life - He knows how. We asked him to, but in the end we had to let you go and say good-bye. We love you. You are beautiful. We'll see you again someday.

successful surgery

This is Joel writing. Thankyou to the hundreds and hundreds of people who were praying today. God chose not to do what a lot of us were praying for - heal Emily without surgery. We don't know why - he certainly can and does heal in this day and age, even in this part of the world. But He must have something bigger in mind. He is good. He is loving. And Emily came through surgery with much Grace! She now has a 2.5 cm (1 inch) Gore-tex shunt going from a branch in her aorta to her pulmonary artery. (No I didn't ask the surgeon if he had a spare shunt in his pocket for me to take home.) She is getting blood to the lungs and looking good.
After she was prepped for surgery this morning, just before they wheeled her off, Emily opened her eyes and looked right into ours. I felt like she was saying, "I'm going to be OK Mom and Dad." Looking for confirmation of the profound moment I asked Renee what she thought. She said it looked like she was screaming out, "Mommy - get me out of here!" Oh well.
Renee waited in the family waiting room while I drove back home to play football with Joshua for an hour like I had promised him I would. He is praying too that Emily would not be sick any more. Rachel is as sweet as ever.
Emily will be quite unconcious until sometime tomorrow, but all her stats are doing well. They will continue to drop dosages of the numerous medications and work toward getting her off the ventilator and being able to take breastmilk.
Thankyou again for praying.

Surgery

Renee just called me about a half-hour ago with an update. They will be able to post more details later this evening, but wanted everyone to know as soon as possible.

Emily was in surgery for about 3 hours while they installed a shunt in her heart. The surgery went well and she is now recovering.

I am sure they appreciate your prayers.

James, for Joel and Renee.