Well Christmas came a little early for our family today. It all started when Jason and I were sitting in church this morning. The sermon had ended and we were about to sing the final song when Jason reminded me that last year on this Sunday we had gone up to the front after church and had been prayed for by our Pastor and Elder team as well as many friends before we left to go to Toronto the following day. Oh wow… remembering that prayer time and what we had prayed for made me cry – as even then we were still hoping that God would reach down and heal Ava and spare her life. So it’s a year later and we know now that healing Ava was not in God’s plan, and it’s sad because we miss her so much… and it’s hard not to think about what might have been.
So I was still a little sad after the service when I remembered that a dear friend had asked us to meet her between the services. When Jason and I found her, she led us around the corner to where a group of people were waiting – which was all very surprising – and low and behold they presented our family with the most amazing gift ever… my entire blog posts of Ava’s life from start to finish put in photo books. For real… every single blog entry and picture. What an incredible gift and such a wonderful keepsake.
Then the tears really came, but we all marvelled at God’s timing. Just that this book had been in the works for so long, and they had hoped to give it to us before this week, but God knew that today was the day that I needed it most – just to show me once again that He is always faithful and cares about us so much.
And so we wanted to say a HUGE thank-you to Nancy who did all the work – and I’m sure it took weeks and weeks or even months of hard work to put it all together – we are eternally grateful. And to all of our Harvest Family who made it possible, this gift means more to us that you’ll ever know.
And not only did Jason and I receive a set of photo books – Volume 1& 2 – but there was a set for each of our children – their very own keepsakes forever. When we got home we were all sitting in our family room looking at our books and my heart was just over-come that we can go and read about Ava and look at her pictures whenever we want and that my kids will have these books to remember their sister by as she gets older.
Wasn’t that a marvelous way to start December? The month where we start to look forward to Christmas - the day we celebrate the birth of Christ… who came to give us the best gift we could ever receive… eternal life.
We are so blessed. God is truly the giver of good gifts.
Amen.
