The Day My Son Received His Inheritance

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

We had one ultrasound after the shunt was placed that showed a slow re-accumulation of fluid. Approximately one week later I had to give birth to my sweet, second child. Jack Michael. He was beautiful and BIG for 33 weeks. He looked healthy to me. Nothing on the outside indicated a problem on the inside. It makes me remember how I can be so unhealthy on the inside while looking fine on the outside too. My faith was about to be put to a serious test and I wasn't sure I would pass... how exactly was I doing on the inside? I'm not sure I did pass day to day, but God never left me. I never felt so overwhelmed by people who loved us. My sister in law woke up my eldest son at midnight to bring him to me because she knew how much I needed him right then. My pastor sat in my hospital room not but a few short hours later praying for me and my family, talking to us... just being there. Family, friends, loved ones came to us. Jesus came to us. He meet us right there in that hospital room. As we sang "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" to our son as he went to receive his inheritance with his Father, Jesus was with us. Weeping with us. We sometimes think if we are strong enough in our faith or strong enough in our prayers that weeping won't come, that the pain won't come, that the chest crunching grief won't come, but as the wise words of a dear friend show us, "prayer and knowledge of the scripture is not a spiritual anesthetic." Jesus wept, why would we think there was anything less for those of us conformed into His image? Jesus wept deeply in the garden of Gethsemane and He knew the good that was about to come... salvation of the world. Friends, don't be surprised by your grief (1Peter 1: 6-7 "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed"). Take to the one who can comfort you. He wants to comfort you (Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.." It's a promise.).

Final Update

As you know, we have been going twice each week for ultrasounds. On Thursday the 15th, our ultrasound revealed that Jeep's ascites was returning, so we were sent to the hospital to deliver.

Jack Michael Pendergrass was delivered via cesarean section at 8:31 AM on Friday, March 16th, 2007. He was 19 1/4" long and weighed 5 lbs 9 oz.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit doctors (neonatologists) worked on Jack for over 15 hours to try and establish a successful oxygen transfer in his lungs, but his hypoplastic lungs and pleural effusion had taken a great toll on him, and his tiny lungs were unable to support him. Jack was taken to be with Jesus at 11:59 PM that night. Carrie and I were able to sit with him some, and hold him some before his heart stopped, and grieve his loss greatly. But we are hopeful for the day that we see him again, as Jesus confirms in John 11, and we also know that " in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).


We feel greatly blessed and privileged to be the parents of Jack, and to have brought into this world a life that will last forever in the presence of the Almighty God.


 

John 11:21-27
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."