their first birthday

Clay awoke, came to sit beside me. I told him today was their due date, that they should be one. I didn’t expect the tears to flood the way they did.⠀⠀

We talked about it all for a moment, he hugged me tightly in his strong arms, and then I asked if he could say a prayer.

As he prayed I saw a vision of the two of them sitting on Jesus’ lap, cozied up, Him reading them a story… The Story… the same Story I read to Noelle.

The same Story being told from two different sides, realms, perspectives.

I heard Jesus say to them, “I’m going to go and rescue them, but they are safe even now in my arms.”

I read Noelle the promise that Jesus is coming back, coming again, coming to rescue us…

“Would the joy outweigh the sadness,” Clay prayed.

Oh, would the joy of this glorious truth, of this full version of the story, of knowing what is to come, create in us a joy that far outweighs our sadness…
because we know the end of the story,
because we know the exciting thing that’s coming,
because we know that He is coming and that He is holding us in protection, in His care…

As He holds them in His arms in the Heavenly realm, we live out this part of the story in a different location; that’s all.
All will be redeemed.
All will be well.
And because of this truth I can say—even in the sadness, abounding in joy—it is well…
with my soul,
with their souls,
and with this wild & broken world.

The pieces are coming together; redemption is happening; we are becoming whole.⠀⠀

.

This is a photo of our family this side of Heaven. One day our family will be redeemed, made whole, and we will be together in the perfect presence of Jesus, in perfectly restored relationship with our God, and in perfect peace for all eternity as we live out the happiest ending to the greatest Story ever told.⠀⠀

You’re a part of this Story, too. Let’s live this messy middle filled with hope for the perfect end.

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{The Story I read Noelle is the Jesus Storybook Bible. I highly recommend it for children & adults alike!}

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