This picture of Jadyn takes my breath away! I find myself often looking for beauty in this world thru God’s creation. It speaks to my soul. It is an ugly time with war, strife, hatred and division surrounding us. It feels like it never ends…but still there is joy, peace, hope, light and beauty to be found in the midst of pain and tragedy. Believe me I have experienced both. I am again thankful that Jadyn is among everlasting beauty with her Prince of Peace and gentle Savior, Jesus. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” John 10:11
I think the last time I posted was about a year ago. I decided that would be my last post…..but then my girls birthday rolls around again and I feel the need to celebrate her life with others. Jadyn was such a bright light in this world and continues to be so! The veil is thin between what we can see and what we cannot, between Heaven and earth. I believe it’s thinner than we think!
“Therefore we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the Hope that lies before us. This Hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the veil into God’s inner sanctuary. Hebrews 6:18-19
In just a few days, we will celebrate Jadyn’s 23rd birthday. God graciously brought a sweet memory to my mind recently. It was the last summer we were together on this earth with her senior pictures coming up. She had been holed up in her room that summer not feeling well, and maybe just being a typical teenager. I thought she needed some sunshine and fresh air so I pushed her to go to the pool with me. She was not thrilled because she was simply not a sun lover like me, but she was a good sport and came with me anyway. She soon grew bored “laying in the sun”. There happened to be a DJ playing some fun music around the pool, and pretty soon my song for her came on, “Brown Eyed Girl”. We both jumped in the turquoise water and danced and laughed together.
It was probably my favorite memory during a long, difficult summer. God has brought the memory of her smiling and laughing that day to mind several times this summer. It reminds me of what the future might look like when we meet again in Heaven💜
Psalm 30:11: “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning …”
This is always my favorite week of the year! I get to envision the resurrected Jesus dancing with my Jadyn, dressed in flowing white robes of righteousness. It reminds me that someday all that is wrong will be made right, and that this is just our temporary home. I picture Jadyn’s joyous smile and laughter ringing out with soo many others! A choir of a million saints and angels singing in perfect unison. Of course, Jadyn would be throwing in several break dance moves. Oh how I miss that crazy girl! Someday all the pain and heartbreak from this world will be behind us. That will be the day! It is coming…
Revelation 21:5-6 (NIV)
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.“
Thanks to a recent family wedding, we were able to see the trifecta! Yes, we hiked through Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and the magnificent Glacier National Park along the Canadian border of Montana. Words cannot describe the magnificent wonders of these places.
The majesty of it all got us thinking about heaven and the new earth yet to come. I can’t help but to consider God’s might and splendor when we walk in these spectacular places.
Psalm 148:13 “Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.”
We did see some unbelievable creatures including moose, grizzly bear, antelope, and bison. However, this creature was the most rewarding…Joy (our pooch) was overwhelmed with the Grand Tetons thanks to dad’s backpack. (we had to keep her close to avoid her becoming a snack for the real rulers of the wilderness)
On more serious note, we are celebrating Jadyn’s 4 year anniversary in heaven. While this trip was fun and exciting, we are reminded this is not our home. Heaven is our eternal home…
Heaven has become a personal and real place for us, like many whose loved ones have run ahead to heaven. We think about the life to come frequently, and live with the expectation of seeing her again. God has a few things to say about this in Scripture.
Revelation 21:4 ESV “He 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.”
John 14:2 ESV “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
1 Corinthians 2:9 ESV “But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”
2 Peter 3:13 ESV “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Revelation 21:21-25 “And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, transparent as glass. And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there.”
Each of us will walk through the same door into the after life just like Jadyn did 4 years ago today. Fortunately we know that she loved Jesus and is with Him today. This is not an exclusive club! We all have the opportunity to believe and trust Jesus with our lives here on earth, and for our life after our souls leave this body. The Bible puts it this way…16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17
The Grand Tetons during our visit that sure makes us think of heaven!
I was not there 22 years ago when this sweet girl was born. In fact, I didn’t even know about her for another month. I didn’t lay eyes on her until she was over 6 months old. All I had were a couple of Polaroid pictures. (pre-internet of course) I had to have faith during that time that I would see her and hold her eventually. It was hard… I had to trust that those orphanage workers were taking care of and loving on her.
Fast forward 22 years! I no longer get to lay my eyes on Jadyn. In fact, for almost 4 years there hasn’t been a new picture to look at. This time I have to have faith that God is taking care of and loving on her. I would call this a “Blind Faith”. Truly believing when you can’t see a thing year after year is hard.
The biblical definition of faith is…”confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; assurance about things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1. Not always easy for any of us! The verse that really encourages my heart right now is this……..”If we are faithless, He remains faithful…..” 2 Timothy 2:13
So the days when faith is hard to hold on to, I am comforted that HE remains faithful!!!!!
Here is a video of our “shy” tornado. We’re sure she is tearing up heaven today since it is her earthly birthday.
Both Troy and I got full knee repIacements in late 2020…..(Yes, I guess we are officially old now) So as a reward, we bought new E Bikes. We are making choices to actively live again!
On 10/30/17 when Jadyn ran off to heaven ahead of us, we wanted to shut it all down, and hide. We felt destroyed after years of praying for her healing.
And since then we have been building new skin as we take steps forward. Jesus is renewing our broken hearts as we work through our crippling grief. It really has been an amazing and yet difficult transformation.
God’s Word talks about transformation of something old made new, and also resurrecting death to life. Here are a few Scriptures about miraculous changes…
2 Corinthians 5:17–Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Ezekiel 36:26–And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Romans 12:2–Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Philippians 1:6–And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 32:38-40–And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them.
The ultimate comfort comes in giving Jesus our shattered hearts and choosing to believe His promise of eternal life. You see, this is not our home! Our hearts are set on heaven where Jadyn is with Jesus waiting for us. That we believe with our whole heart…
Though never easy, it is all we have to lean on. Yes, we miss Jadyn terribly, but she would not want us to freeze in time after her traumatic loss at the age of 18. This “new skin” is really the power and strength that Jesus is giving us through the Holy Spirit to fulfill our journey home to heaven.
Blessings my sweet friends, Kristin
(BTW we are also sizing down to a little ranch so we don’t have to replace the other knees for awhile!!!)
Today is the shortest day of the year and I plan to celebrate it because that means we will be slowly moving towards longer, lighter days!!! The nights have been sooo dark, sooo early (at least in Chicago). Not great for anyone, especially during a Pandemic. Every December I need to remind myself that His (Jesus’) light shines brightest in the darkness! I’m not sure that even if I had the power to, I would drag Jadyn back to this dark, broken world. She ONLY experiences pure and stunning light now!
I decorate my house with white lights. I need reminders that…..“The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome it.”~John 1:5 Jesus was born to die and bring the dead to life. He came to conquer death and I have a confident hope that I will spend eternity with Him and my sweet girl☀️💜. So take heart, He has overcome the darkness!!! Lighter and longer days are to come…..(both now and in eternity) Whatever 2021 brings, God is bigger…
Wow has 2020 been full of difficulties for everyone, to say the least!!! On a personal level we have entered the hardest season of the year. We are on a countdown to the end of the month and JJ being in Heaven for 3 years now(still hard to fathom some days)…..
The other night as I was remembering some very painful things from 3 years ago, God gave me a picture of Jadyn belly laughing in my mind! I held onto that picture the entire night and into the next day. I will continue to hold this picture in my mind as we move thru this season. Because this is what Joy looks like….this is what Heaven looks like to me!
My verse for the season is Colossians 1:11 in the Message Paraphrase…..I hope you can also find comfort in this verse as it is a difficult season for soooo many!
