This week has probably been the hardest so far, as Monday I discovered some pictures from when Andrew and I and a friend went to Joshua Tree two days after Andrew and I were engaged. I would do anything to have Andrew back.
A.J. loves for me to read Andrew's letters to him and Gracie before bed. I haven't had a chance to post Andrew's letters from Days 2 through 4. They were short, so I'll post them all together:
Day 2
Dear Beloved,
I love you so much. Stay strong and be courageous. May Christ satisfy you today.
Ps 31:10-12
Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me; O LORD, be my helper.
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent
O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Love,
Me
P.S. XxooXoxXXoooXxxXox
Day 3
Dear Lover,
Just a quick note to tell you that I love you and that I'm not in pain anymore. Remember to rejoice in all things today. By the way, you're beautiful.
"Rejoice in the Lord, again I will say rejoice. "
The Lord will lead you just as He did the Israelites through the wilderness. Ex 13:21 "The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night."
Day 4
Dear Grace,
I love you so much. I wish I could be there with you to know how you are doing. I trust that God is upholding you and others through this time. Be strong and courageous. The Lord will lead you to victory. Remember my favorite song?
E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be ’til I die.
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I’ll sing Thy pow’r to save.
Your best friend,
Andrew
Hang in there, Grace! You most certainly are not alone. Please know you are loved, prayed for and so deeply cared for by so many. May the Lord remind you today of His nearness to you. May He truly be your all in all.
ReplyDeleteAmanda
You should write a book Grace. There are many people out there feeling down at times, and sometimes to know that there are people sharing similiar experiences helps people feel a little better that they are not alone.
ReplyDeleteI've attended a lecture by the 14th Dalai Lama once, and he said life is full of suffering. People do so many things to get their minds off it. People do drugs, alcohol, eat, party, spend money, and so many other things. But suffering is natural because our bodies are mortal and we all die one day. When you realize you have eased the suffering of someone else, you feel a little better because you know that at least your suffering is not for nothing. You think of all the people who have helped ease your suffering and you feel grateful to them and when you think about it, people out there feel grateful to you too for helping ease their suffering in the same way.
Your blog, your life, Andrew's life is amazing. The love, wisdom, the real human emotions and experiences, the faith, I think these are such incredible entries that can help people out there. You're stronger than you know it. For people to see how strong you are at times when others would be weak, or even your weak moments show us how human we all are. We all have hard times, but together we slowly piece things back together and we get up stronger. We feel alone at times, but in reality we all have a connection. We're born in this world because of the connection of two people and we live our lives through the relationships we build with people and when we go we leave our impressions on the people we have touched.
I know and see how Andrew has touched many people with his life, and I know you have touched many people with your life and you can touch so many more. You're stronger than you realize. People don't always say everything but you are inspiring and helping people with their lives with your stories. You're helping me to remember, to hope, to inspire to be a better person like Andrew, to be as strong and a caring person as you are.
in much respects,
lih-wern
Dear Grace,
ReplyDeleteI'm continuing to pray for you and your children, and know your posts are always a source that brings me to meditate on the goodness of God, in the good and bad, and know He is worthy to be praised. (Matt. 5:4)
By His grace - Aaron
Dearest Grace,
ReplyDeleteWe think about you and your children daily and pray for you just as much. I especially pray for you when I go to bed each night.
Praising God for His amazing grace that is surrounding you today,
Julie, Todd and family
Thank you for your candid sharing - indeed it is out of the overflow of His love that compels you to profess of His great faithfulness in spite of the pain that may sometimes throb harder on more difficult days. The days ahead may be hard, but we know that they are not absent of His presence. I am so encouraged by your earnest clinging to Christ - and pray that I, too, may strive to daily grasp hold of His promises that renew us each morning. Pam
ReplyDeleteThank you Grace for sharing Andrew's letters. As hard as it may be to type them, they do remind us all that Jesus truly is to be most prized in our lives. You and the children are in our prayers as you lean on Him each moment.
ReplyDeleteIn Christ,
Elizabeth Roth
Love you, Grace!!
ReplyDeletePraying for you daily...God bless!
ReplyDeleteFix your eyes on the hope promised before you, Grace. We love you and pray for you daily. Let us know specifics to lift up for you.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Rick, Julie & kiddos
Grace,
ReplyDeleteI still pray for you everyday. God often brings you to my mind at various times throughout the day. I was reading Psalm 30 the other day and I thought of you. "I will extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up, and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me. O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. Sing praise to the Lord, you His godly ones, and give thanks to His holy name. For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." We love you Grace!
Shaina Englund
Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us, Grace. Please know that through your heart-aching suffering, God is encouraging so many.
ReplyDeleteYou remain in my prayers. It's an honor to lift up the names of you, A.J. and Gracie.