Can you imagine?

More, I'm so, so sorry if you didn't have to imagine it, but it WAS or is your situation....

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Mondays are usually the days I try to mark the week's progress for Luke. There's lots to write about, but we see Dr. Sweeney today and will get pictures (hopefully, and that's another story) so I'm going to update tomorrow.

A good friend sent me this link about a sweet little baby girl, Emma Grace, who died as she was waiting for a heart transplant. That of course is tragic, tragic, tragic.

What's more heartbreaking is apparently there is difficulty in finding the funds for funeral costs.

I cannot even imagine, and yet, know some who read this blog not only can imagine it but LIVED it...and were not able to do what they wanted for their precious baby.

I know that in the days (and still now, months later) after Matthew died, the kindness and compassion and generosity of complete and total strangers was such a blessing to us. We were fortunate enough to be able to do what we wanted (which is weird to say, because what DOES one WANT when planning a funeral for one's child?) and have some wonderful things done in Matthew's memory. What a blessing.

I don't know much about this family other than they need help, even if just a few dollars, so I figured I'd see if anyone reading felt moved to do so.

In doing Bible study this morning, I came across a verse again that really, really meant something to me. Zechariah 12:10 speaks of the end days where people will mourn the suffering and death of Christ as one who mourns for an only child....as one who grieves (or weeps bitterly) for a firstborn son.

What I got out of that this morning is that for those of us who are told we should be past our depressions or moving on/forward/over it--whatever--the people who tell us that need to be reminded that the grieving and mourning and weeping bitterly for a child is POWERFUL. It is not some shallow bed of emotion just to be worked through and forgotten. If Christ Himself is comparing how people will feel about condemning Him to death with the bitter grief of losing a child.....well, that seems like He takes that grief pretty seriously and understands it's depth and it's life-impacting change.

And if others don't, that's their problem.

Can you imagine that grief and then the added stress of wondering how you are going to bury/cremate your child?

Again, here's the link. I know that sadly, stories like this are a dime a dozen. I'm not sure why this one just broke my heart this morning. Maybe because it's Emma Grace--and that's the first name we chose for the little girl we wanted to adopt. Maybe because my heart is especially tender today after a very restless night of sleeplessness and worry. Maybe because I realize how really blessed I am and instead of buying lunch on the way to the doctor's today, I can eat at home and send that $15 to this family just to let them know that they aren't alone and strangers care. Maybe it's just God telling me that we are to love them like Jesus, whether we know them or not.

In any event...it's on my heart.

http://levibeers.com/2010/10/18/help-needed-for-baby-emma-graces-funeral-costs-please-share/