Addy's Azalea
My mother died in March. She was 95. My seventh grandchild died after only 12 weeks in my daughter's womb. Some would say the life of neither one had much value. My mother had overstayed the usual life expectancy and my grandchild never drew a breath outside of her mother. No matter at what stage of life this woman and great- grandchild were, they both were valued by our family and by God.
My husband and I had just returned from my mother's house after spending 5 days. While we were there he studied for a class while I sorted through the many books that had been squirreled away in the attic and other places in the house. I knew Jessica was not feeling well and I hoped that by now she was feeling better. Not long after we came home, Jessica came to tell us the news. No matter how strongly the baby's heart had beat a week before, it was beating no longer. After 12 weeks the pregnancy had clearly ended. They were both heart broken and her dad comforted them in a fatherly and pastoral fashion. Jess asked her father for a memorial service for our family. It was to be two days later on Monday night. Jessica named her child Addyson. After the doctor's visit Monday morning she was told the baby was a girl.
This pastor, father, and grandfather took this act seriously even though it was just mom, dad, two young siblings and a nana and it was all just his family. Big sister Grace at seven years of age came and sat near her parents, at one point allowing her tears to flow. Two year old Henry was there acting like a squirmy two year old. Steve began his short message by referencing Psalm 56:8.
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
If we ever think that the God who made us is some distant, cold, and uncaring power, a verse like this will change your minds. David wrote Psalm 56 when he was on the run from King Saul, when it seemed like he had lost everything and everyone was against him, everyone except God.
Addy did not get to play with Grace and Henry. She didn't get to walk or talk or eat frozen yogurt, but in her short life she was loved and prayed for and waited for in eager anticipation. She was not just loved by us but by her Creator also. The only reason Addy had life was because God is the giver of all life. God knew Addy in a way sonograms or the steady beat of the baby's heart can't communicate. Addy was wrought in the depths of the earth and God's eyes saw her unformed substance. (Psalm 139) All of Addy's days as few as they were on this earth, were recorded by God before there was one of them. Just like our tears and our tossings, God keeps track of everything about His children, and carries the little lambs in His arms.
We haven't been attacked by a human enemy like David was in Psalm 56, but our enemy is even older and greater because it is death itself. Addy as well as everyone of us need someone more powerful than death and that is Jesus. In Jesus all of this comes together. Jesus knew the taste of tears as He walked on this earth. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus , His beloved friend. (John11:35) His tears flowed as He thought about the consequences of Jerusalem's rejection of Him. (Luke 19:41) Hebrews 5:7 says Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears. The Father knew the tears of His son and because we are His, God knows our tears, tears over how the enemy death hasn't been vanquished yet and we have to face death for ourselves and those we love with tears.
God kept a record of all of David's wanderings, all the restless years that David had to spend on this earth, just as He notes our time here as well. God had a special place to hold the tears David cried. This bottle, this wineskin is God's, not ours because we forget our tears after a while. Our lives will go on. They will be busy. There will be plenty to do. We won't mean to forget Addy but the memory of our tears will fade. God does not forget. He remembers our tears even when we don't. Our tears are indicators of how the world isn't yet what God intends it to be. Our tears are important to God. Four times in the Bible He promises to wipe away all tears from our eyes. God started to do this in John 20 when the risen Lord met Mary Magdalene at His tomb. First the angels asked her and then Jesus asked her "Woman, why are you weeping?" The comfort we have is the same comfort that Mary had. God remembers Mary's tears just as He will remember our tears for Addy. Mary stopped weeping because the resurrected savior was with her. With Him was the promise that God will finally wipe away all our tears because death will be no more. As a result of the Lord Jesus' resurrection death isn't the last word for Grandmom, Nanny, or Addy. Weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning.(Psalm 30:5) Our weeping for Addie has a promise attached to it. God keeps our tears and makes this promise.
They shall hunger no more,neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching
heat. For the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes....
And death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore,
For the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said,
Behold I am making all things new.
Rev. 7:16-17, 21:4-5a
There was no obituary for the local paper. There wasn't a sanctuary filled with friends and relatives. There were no flower arrangements. There was only a living room with 6 people who quietly mourned the loss of a little girl who left us one day before Mother's Day. A white azalea now grows in a flower bed in front of our house. It is a quiet reminder of a little girl who will never join us in this life. Her family will always be a little
sad at the thought of her but full of joy at the future our heavenly father has prepared for His people.
My husband and I had just returned from my mother's house after spending 5 days. While we were there he studied for a class while I sorted through the many books that had been squirreled away in the attic and other places in the house. I knew Jessica was not feeling well and I hoped that by now she was feeling better. Not long after we came home, Jessica came to tell us the news. No matter how strongly the baby's heart had beat a week before, it was beating no longer. After 12 weeks the pregnancy had clearly ended. They were both heart broken and her dad comforted them in a fatherly and pastoral fashion. Jess asked her father for a memorial service for our family. It was to be two days later on Monday night. Jessica named her child Addyson. After the doctor's visit Monday morning she was told the baby was a girl.
This pastor, father, and grandfather took this act seriously even though it was just mom, dad, two young siblings and a nana and it was all just his family. Big sister Grace at seven years of age came and sat near her parents, at one point allowing her tears to flow. Two year old Henry was there acting like a squirmy two year old. Steve began his short message by referencing Psalm 56:8.
You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
If we ever think that the God who made us is some distant, cold, and uncaring power, a verse like this will change your minds. David wrote Psalm 56 when he was on the run from King Saul, when it seemed like he had lost everything and everyone was against him, everyone except God.
Addy did not get to play with Grace and Henry. She didn't get to walk or talk or eat frozen yogurt, but in her short life she was loved and prayed for and waited for in eager anticipation. She was not just loved by us but by her Creator also. The only reason Addy had life was because God is the giver of all life. God knew Addy in a way sonograms or the steady beat of the baby's heart can't communicate. Addy was wrought in the depths of the earth and God's eyes saw her unformed substance. (Psalm 139) All of Addy's days as few as they were on this earth, were recorded by God before there was one of them. Just like our tears and our tossings, God keeps track of everything about His children, and carries the little lambs in His arms.
We haven't been attacked by a human enemy like David was in Psalm 56, but our enemy is even older and greater because it is death itself. Addy as well as everyone of us need someone more powerful than death and that is Jesus. In Jesus all of this comes together. Jesus knew the taste of tears as He walked on this earth. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus , His beloved friend. (John11:35) His tears flowed as He thought about the consequences of Jerusalem's rejection of Him. (Luke 19:41) Hebrews 5:7 says Jesus prayed with loud cries and tears. The Father knew the tears of His son and because we are His, God knows our tears, tears over how the enemy death hasn't been vanquished yet and we have to face death for ourselves and those we love with tears.
God kept a record of all of David's wanderings, all the restless years that David had to spend on this earth, just as He notes our time here as well. God had a special place to hold the tears David cried. This bottle, this wineskin is God's, not ours because we forget our tears after a while. Our lives will go on. They will be busy. There will be plenty to do. We won't mean to forget Addy but the memory of our tears will fade. God does not forget. He remembers our tears even when we don't. Our tears are indicators of how the world isn't yet what God intends it to be. Our tears are important to God. Four times in the Bible He promises to wipe away all tears from our eyes. God started to do this in John 20 when the risen Lord met Mary Magdalene at His tomb. First the angels asked her and then Jesus asked her "Woman, why are you weeping?" The comfort we have is the same comfort that Mary had. God remembers Mary's tears just as He will remember our tears for Addy. Mary stopped weeping because the resurrected savior was with her. With Him was the promise that God will finally wipe away all our tears because death will be no more. As a result of the Lord Jesus' resurrection death isn't the last word for Grandmom, Nanny, or Addy. Weeping may last for a night but joy comes in the morning.(Psalm 30:5) Our weeping for Addie has a promise attached to it. God keeps our tears and makes this promise.
They shall hunger no more,neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching
heat. For the lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes....
And death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore,
For the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said,
Behold I am making all things new.
Rev. 7:16-17, 21:4-5a
There was no obituary for the local paper. There wasn't a sanctuary filled with friends and relatives. There were no flower arrangements. There was only a living room with 6 people who quietly mourned the loss of a little girl who left us one day before Mother's Day. A white azalea now grows in a flower bed in front of our house. It is a quiet reminder of a little girl who will never join us in this life. Her family will always be a little
sad at the thought of her but full of joy at the future our heavenly father has prepared for His people.
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