Written by Allan Anderson of the Village Church
The birth of Jesus was the greatest gift the world has ever received! Thirty plus years later, his crucifixion and resurrection opened the portal to the promise of eternal life for all those with faith and belief in God. In our lives and especially within the immediate family, the promise and birth of a child is the hope for the future. In many cases, the loss of a child at a young age can be devastating and often profoundly challenges the future of entire families. Several years ago, our son and daughter-in-law lost their 10-year-old daughter to leukemia. Although the medical treatments were state of the art, the needed biological match never materialized and after 9 straight months of being hospitalized, our granddaughter received a heavenly welcome home. In retrospect, God’s grace and caring became more visible each and every day during her illness. Strength and support grew both through prayer and acts of physical caring for our son’s family and spread to other parents of the children with similar difficulties. In the hospital lounge on the children’s floor, groups gathered in prayer, new friendships were formed, and the definition of needed support was understood and realized. There were care portals on the Internet that contained international support and commentary. This led to the anticipated get together called “Wonderful Wednesdays” where trends and surprises were gathered and shared: a perfect example of people being the hands of God. When life came to an end, the caring continued. Out east, the ritual of calling hours at a funeral home brought over 250 visitors to offer expressions of love to our family. The next day, almost 600 people attended the Memorial service for our beautiful 10-year-old girl. Sadness had become personal strength! Once again, a child was born and through the strength of faith and understanding, countless lives found meaning and direction to assure others and build confidence for their futures.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. [Psalm 147:3]
Pathways Press.com 
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