April 27, 2012

I didn't mail out birthday invitations.

I didn't spend the last month hammering out details of the perfect birthday for our soon-to-be 3 year old little boy.

I didn't look for the gift he really, really wanted.

I didn't watch him in anxious anticipation of his birthday - asking about his party, reminding me that his party would be this weekend.

I won't wake him up and tell him Happy Birthday tomorrow morning.

I won't be giving him many, many hugs and kisses tomorrow to show him how much I love him and am so thankful that he came into our lives.

There will be no gifts to unwrap and no birthday cake to enjoy.

We won't see his face light up as he celebrates another year...another birthday.

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We've never had those things with Ayden.  Instead, we will

...lift balloons into the sky in his memory.

...thank God for 4 wonderful, beautiful months with a child we cherish and love more and more every day.

...shed tears and feel the ache and pain of living without him.

...we will lift our faces to the sky in anxious anticipation of the day when we will all be swept up to join together in Heaven....forever. For eternity. For much, much longer than we get here.

...we will smile as we think back on memories of our precious son.  Our "sweet boy" who stole our hearts before we ever knew he existed.  

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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Message (MSG)

The Master's Coming

 ^13-14And regarding the question, friends, that has come up about what happens to those already dead and buried, we don't want you in the dark any longer. First off, you must not carry on over them like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word. Since Jesus died and broke loose from the grave, God will most certainly bring back to life those who died in Jesus. ^15-18And then this: We can tell you with complete confidence—we have the Master's word on it—that when the Master comes again to get us, those of us who are still alive will not get a jump on the dead and leave them behind. In actual fact, they'll be ahead of us. The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God's trumpet blast! He'll come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise—they'll go first. Then the rest of us who are still alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master. Oh, we'll be walking on air! And then there will be one huge family reunion with the Master. So reassure one another with these words.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Ayden! 

We love you so much and can't wait to be with you again...very soon.

"There will be a day..."