Praynlady's Blessings & Other Fun Stuff: What A Heavenly Birthday!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

What A Heavenly Birthday!

Since I have been under the weather the last few days, I was unable to write the post I intended to publish yesterday so here goes!
I previously wrote a post about our son, Ian's birthday on Sept. 6th, being his "Earthly" birthday, and this post is about his "Heavenly" birthday yesterday.
What a glorious thought...think about it....Although our loved ones that have moved ahead of us in life/death, are no longer celebrating here on earth, and we cannot shower them with love, gifts and of course cake and decorations, in Heaven, can you just imagine what kind of celebrations they must have on birthdays there!?!?!
I can imagine Ian, sitting on a tree limb, holding a plate with a giant slice of cake and no fork or spoon (as I'm sure there are no messes there, and no need of forks or cutlery :P), with a huge glass of milk sitting beside him, balanced precariously on the limb. A smile the size of Texas on his face, and the fluttering of thousands of butterflies swimming in the breeze around him as he takes that first chocolatey bite. His smile intensifies as the taste of the chocolate hits his taste buds and his eyes are sparkling and twinkling now. Jesus is there, handing him a blessing from his earthly family....a bubble filled with love and kisses and birthday wishes held out to Ian to take and enjoy. Wow, can you just feel it? The love Jesus has for him alone and the love he's offering to our son?!!
Ian takes the bubble in his hands, takes a quick second bite of the molten goodness from his plate, and holds the bubble up to his face to see the joy there inside, like a snow globe. There in the bubble are his parents, his sisters, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, his cousins and his friends. All smiling, with tears of sadness and joy on their cheeks, their hearts shining just for him, and though he knows their sorrow, he sees only their love for him. They are all holding up balloons filled with messages and kisses and spoken love, to release on his earthly birthday. Ian knows that Jesus has captured and saved all that was released that day and has held onto them to present him this gift on his heavenly birthday. What a gift of love. Not only that he is celebrating with Jesus by his side, but being able to feel, smell and see the love that his family and friends have sent to him.
Ian takes the bubble gently and slowly turns it around to see all of his loved ones, one at a time release their balloon, hearing their unspoken love, seeing the messages inside each balloon as he rotates the bubble. There is his mom and dad, he can see they are still broken but that their love for him has only grown stronger over the years. He can feel that they miss him but he is not saddened by this, as there is no sorrow in heaven. He simply knows that one day he will see them on his side of the pearly gates. There are his three sisters, though they are crying, he sees the love they have for him. Even Kaylee, who never had the joy of meeting her brother, has shared words of love and happiness, because she has been shown how her brother loved everyone and everything he did here on earth. She is sad that she never got to hear his voice, but through videos and family movies, she has heard him. She has even asked if God would let her go to heaven for a day just to see him.
There are his grandparents, whose love for him has left holes in their hearts as well, but whom have shared him with others through their stories and tales of his recklessness, and bravado, and even stupidities, like the scorpion!
There are his aunts and uncles, who are sharing stories of his humor and muddy days, his bathroom contests and swimming abilities, they are laughing about some of his adventures with their children.
There are his friends, the ones who loved him even then, quietly offering up their balloons with a sad look on their faces, still not understanding why God has taken him from their lives at such a young age, but still loving him enough to share in this time of celebration. Taking time out of their busy lives to show that Ian is remembered and thought of, showing the family that they have never forgotten the young boy that kept them laughing, and climbing, and hunting, and racing, and other endless hours of fun and mischevious deeds they shared together.

Ian slowly leans into the bubble and gives it a gentle kiss and the bubble pops....love, in the shape of butterflies, are everywhere, he laughs and the joy that comes with his laughter, is contagious, and Jesus, and John D. and J. H. D., Ethan M., and others we have sent to Heaven are running, jumping, and laughing. True laughter, true joy, true love is like a scent that fills the area.
God is good, He is joy, He is grace, He is mercy, He is above all things, LOVE!
Ian can't see the sorrow, but I'm sure he is allowed to know that we miss him. He can't see the tears, but I'm sure he is allowed to know that we still long for his hugs, his laughter, his smile, his ingenuity! He knows that though we are all still here, we think of him, we miss him, and we love him, even as if he were still here.
I know that he loves us, he loved us all enough to pray every night before bedtime for our safety, our lives and above all, our salvation. His favorite phrase was this, "When I die, I'm going to Heaven, where are you going"? Ian loved the Lord even as a small child, and it showed. He was fearless, for Christ. He was absolutely sure that Jesus lived in his heart and was never afraid to tell anyone that.
There are stories I could share with you all about how Ian knew he was going to Heaven, but in short, I'll just say that he knew it. He told me several times, about his "dreams", and his knowing that God had whispered things to him about how things would be and Ian had told me that God had told him it would all be ok. God told him that He would be there with him and with us when the time came. Ian was ready and as prepared as a 7 year old could be. I live with the content of knowing this and having the peace of knowing that before the accident ever happened.
Thank you all for sharing Ian with us, for not being afraid to say his name around us. Oddly, it is better to hear him spoke of than to feel that he has been buried in memories, as he was in the earth. It is comforting to know that many of you have pictures to share, (and I still encourage you to send me copies for his album if you can), so that we can share with you, the times he was part of your lives. Thank you to those of you who continue to think of us this time of year, each year, and send words of encouragement, love and prayers. Though the years have passed quickly, it still seems as if it were yesterday at times. I can honestly say that though is has gotten easier to live with the loss and sadness, it has never really gotten better. Just more of a routine of things, and the "firsts" are not as often, but the triggers are still plentiful. Thank you for being with us on this journey, and thank you for helping us make it until the end of our journey that will place us at God's throne, and then with our beloved son once again.
I ask you all to think of this question: All the things we say we will ask Jesus when we get to heaven, will they actually mean anything when we do arrive at Heavens gates? Will we really need the answers once we are there? Do not question, merely know that all things will be right and true when we get there. We will meet Jesus, face to face, we will see our loved ones, we will know joy unlike any we've ever known, we will have peace and no more tears or sorrow, we will live there for eternity, in Heavens' glory! So really, who cares about the answers at that point!
This said, if you do not have a personal belief in Jesus Christ, how do you expect to survive the hard times here on earth? I often wonder sadly, about those who've not had the faith in Christ, the love of our Lord Jesus, to carry them through the hard times, to lift them and hold them, and to comfort them, who've lost parents, children, and loved ones. How do they survive? Many of them do not. They end their own lives, their marriages fall apart, their lives become chaos, uncontrollable, and end in more sorrow and loss. Friends, family, please find someone around you who walks with Christ, and talk to them. Visit churches, find one that is the right fit for your life, ask Jesus to live in you, to walk with you, find time to have a personal relationship with Him. Believe that He will love you, and wrap his arms around you in times of trial and sadness. Just knowing you are loved as His child, is sometimes the grace you need to carry you through. We are all learning every day, that He has plans for us, to prosper us, not to harm us! Let Him show you what His plans are for you. Allow him to direct you, not choose for yourselves.

Here is the verse that gets me through each day and every sleepless night:
Be strong and of great courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with the, withersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:9
I know this post is a bit scattered, but then, so am I! Love God, love those around you and love yourself. It's hard to love others, if you can't love yourself. And, do not, like me, hide yourself behind masks. God loves us as we are, not as we think others should see us. When you are happy, share it, when you are sad, accept help and prayers, when you are depressed, let someone know, because prayer works, when you are in pain, do not hide it, live through it with Christ as your strength. Allow others to see you, who you are, do not hide yourself, or cover over the things you think others might see, because it may be that they are in need of seeing someone else hurting as they do, they may need a prayer just as you do, they may need a simple smile, just as you might be in need of one.
Just sayin'!
Blessings and hugs,
Colleen
ps... Ian, though you are missed daily, nightly and with every breath and heart beat, I know that you are in a place where pain and sorrow will never touch you. I know that you are playing football on those fields of ever blooming bluebonnets. I know that you are singing and dancing and I know that I will love you, "TO INFINITY AND BEYOND"! My son, you are missed, you are loved, and you are a part of each day that I am still here on earth and a part of everything I do until I see you again, on those golden streets of Heaven. I long for it, but I long to finish my task her on earth first. Whatever the task, God's plans for me will allow me to see you again! For that alone, I am grateful for my faith! Until then my sweet little man, Happy Heavenly Birthday!
Ian's 6th Birthday

Ian's 3rd Birthday

Ian's 5th Birthday

Just after Ian's 5th Birthday

Comments:
Sweet Blessings be to Ian, to you and to your loved ones; and blessings to all.
 
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