Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 90:12
The number 67 will never again be just another number to us.
It is the number of days that the Lord gave us to spend with our beloved baby.
And, He alone knew what that number would be.
We don't know how many days we have left here on this earth.
Nor do we know how many days remain with the ones we love.
But, He does.
This morning, just before we lowered the casket into the ground,
we asked everyone to consider making a commitment...
a decision to not let things go until tomorrow...
a choice to let God use our little baby's life to make a specific change in their own.
That change might be to follow Christ, to forgive someone, to seek to be reconciled, etc.
That change might be to follow Christ, to forgive someone, to seek to be reconciled, etc.
And to mark that commitment, we asked them to take a rose petal
and use it to mark permanently the casket of our precious boy.
That casket was beautiful when it was placed in the ground.
That casket was beautiful when it was placed in the ground.
We are not promised forever.
Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we might gain a heart of wisdom.
Tonight, I am sitting in my parents' living room watching family videos from the 1940's.
In these videos, I get to see scenes of my grandparents as young newlyweds
surrounded by my great grandparents and my great great grandparents.
In one of the scenes, my great grandpa is seen happily boarding an airplane for Russia.
On that same trip, he passed away from a heart attack.
He didn't know how long he had.
And neither do we.
Today, my beloved baby marked (at least) the sixth generation of my family
to be buried in that small town cemetery.
And, Brandon and I might someday follow.
In the meantime, I want to embrace fully this life the Lord has for me.
In order to do that, I must embrace the inevitable and explore death in light of the Scriptures.
In order to do that, I must embrace the inevitable and explore death in light of the Scriptures.
As J.I. Packer says, "Only when you know how to die can you know how to live."
Jesus, thank you for using my baby to begin to show me how to live.
"Show me, O Lord, my life's end
and the number of my days;
let me know how fleeting is my life.
You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Each man's life is but a breath."
Each man's life is but a breath."
Psalm 39:4-5
3 comments:
mandy & brandon,thank you for sharing those precious 67 days with us. God is using your little baby's life and his parent's faith to make a specific change in my own.
prayers & love from colorado
Brandon and Mandy, the Lord has and continues to use Jude's life and your lives to tell His story of hope, redemption, and love. Yesterday was an incredible display of His amazing love for us and your amazing love for your son. Thank you for reminding us to count our days, to make them significant, to let them be worshipful to the One who deserves our worship. This weekend were days I will never forget and will cherish forever. Thank you for letting us share them with you. We love you!!!!!
i have chills reading this post. 67 earthly days with eternal impact that can't be measured. may god teach me to number my days for his glory. he is using you, and sweet jude, in so many people's lives.
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