"Each of us"...

Rowan shared something with me recently, something he wanted me to tell a friend of ours, something that I think could actually help countless others as well.  This friend and her husband are dealing with a horrible tragedy in their family…the recent loss of their beautiful daughter on the day she was born.  I was struggling deeply with how to help them, and then Rowan shared this message... words which I believe are actually “His” words.  Let me explain…

One night, several weeks ago, I was texting my sweet friend who had just lost her daughter at birth. I was crying and Rowan asked me why.  I told him who I was talking to and he said, “I feel so bad for them.”  I told him that I did too, but that I didn't know what to say to help him through this.  I asked Rowan what he thought might help.  He told me he would go to sleep and talk to God about it, and that he would let me know in the morning.  I thought he would forget by morning, but he didn't.  He woke up the next morning and told me right away...saying:

“I know what will help Mom.  Tell them that God doesn’t have all of us in His hands, He has each of us in his hands. Like, I saw her in God’s two hands like a baby bird. I think they will like to know that.  He knows all about her, he knows her name, he is holding her in His two hands in Heaven, and she is ok.”  

Then he told me that I should tell Lorraine, Stephanie, Jen and Laura that too, that God holds each one of their daughters (Chrissie, Jordan, Jalene, & Avery), one at a time, in His two hands.  I was blown away.  What a sweet, profound vision. And it really is a wonderful thought…to know that she is not forgotten, not just another number…she is important, personally known by God, cared for by Him and held in His very own two hands. 

Fast forward, to this past week…I asked Rowan to paint a picture of what he saw when he slept and thought about her, and to write what it meant to him.  Rowan did just that.  Then, he asked me for her full name, and he wrote her initials on the painting by the baby bird, signed it with his name, with a heart with a cross on it, and angel wings.  We sent the painting to our friends, and I spoke with her about it tonight.  She gave me her permission to share these photos and this story.  Here are pictures of Rowan first drawing this beautiful piece of art, a pure piece of his heart...and then him painting it with care.  

He took such care, paying attention to every detail...

...and wrote out the message as neatly as he could...

...then came the painting, his favorite part...

The end result, is so sweet, yet so powerful...

I get choked up reading it every single time, because I am in awe of how this little boy could come up with such a poignant sentence, about dealing with grief...at 8 years old.  I could never come up with a better one on my own.  I've already prayed that this will help our dear friends heal, that it will give them comforting visions of their baby girl literally in God's hands, that every time they see a little bird, they will have visions of this message from Rowan and have peace.  Now, I am also praying that it will help others who are grieving the loss of loved ones too, especially their children.  Please share this message with anyone in your life who may need to read it.  I think it's too important, not to share.

And please keep our dear friends in your prayers...

In Memory of:

...and thank you God for giving Rowan the open heart and pure child-like faith to hear you, so that he can give us these glimpses of heaven.