A dear friend sent this to Emily and I last year. I posted it a year ago, but felt compelled to post it again today. The lady who wrote this had a daughter who died 6 years ago. Her words aptly describe exactly how Emily and I feel. As I went through it, I adjusted her comments and some things in a few places to personalize it for our situation. We are thankful for so many things today…grieving, yet rejoicing! As we have said: “Life is less sweet, death is less bitter, and heaven is more real.”
“What is there to be thankful for on this day?
We are thankful to be Trey’s mom and dad. It was an honor and a privilege and a blessing beyond measure.
We are thankful for the people that we met along the way–doctors, nurses, and other parents of people that we would never have met if we hadn’t entered their world.
We are thankful for Trey’s incredible laugh and beautiful smile…two things burned in our hearts forever.
We are thankful for superheroes, action figures, coloring books, cartoons, wrestlers, video games, and so many other things Trey loved.
We are thankful for the lives that were and continue to be changed through our story.
We are thankful that on September 1, 2013, Trey didn’t die, he began to “really live!”
We are thankful for a little 7 year old boy named Ben who asked Jesus to be the “boss of his life,” just like Trey!
We are thankful for the wisdom we are gaining through suffering.
We are thankful that we have received comfort that we can use to comfort others.
We are thankful for a marriage that will survive the death of a child.
We are thankful for our other children whose lives were forever impacted, but not defined, by their brother’s death. We are thankful for the incredible courage they show every single day of their lives.
We are thankful for tested faith that is more precious than gold.
We are thankful for an eternal perspective. What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal…2 Corinthians 4:18.
We are thankful that we are learning to trust God deeply, even though we can’t always understand him.
We are thankful for the ‘missing feeling’ that reminds us that this world is not our home.
We are thankful for a reunion to look forward to.
We are thankful that Trey taught us to make every breath count and to live life even when we feel don’t like it.
We are thankful for good friends who walked through the valley with us and who remember.
We are thankful for new friends whose encouragement has meant more to us than we could ever say.
We are thankful that God can make beauty from ashes and change mourning to dancing.
We will always be sorry that Trey died, but we will never be sorry that he lived.
We are thankful that because of Jesus and Jesus alone…we will see our son again and worship the one true God together around His throne!
pastorjfreeman 