It's hard to believe that it has been two months today. We aren't exactly at the right time yet but still hard to believe. We have been so blessed over the past 2 months and God has given us so much comfort and strength to get through some hard days. I know this is not the end of the hard times but with our faith in God we can get through it. I was reading in my devotions this morning about trees. The title of the devotional is Graceful Oaks. In the beginning it talks about loving trees in the summer and how majestic and commanding . They offer their leafy, green shade free of charge. They bend in the breeze without breaking and they provide shelter for living creatures. Like the mighty oaks, God planted us in His garden. He put us there to care for all living things that are part of it. He placed us there for His glory. This really stuck out at me after reading it. Lindsay was placed in our garden. He gave her to us to help her grow and for us to take care of her and all for His glory. I have been asking God lately why He had to take her. I think I just got from Him part of my answer. God trusted Jon and I with Lindsay and we helped her grow. WOW! She was a beautiful little girl (like a flower) that grew and now she is even more beautiful in heaven. Our nurse Moria sent me an email yesterday and in her email she sent this poem.
God has not promised skies always blue, flower-shewn pathways all our lives through; God has not promised sun without rain, joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
But God has promised strength for the day, rest for the labor, light for the way. Grace for trials, help from above, unfailing sympathy undying love. What a neat poem and a perfect time to send it to.
I would like to ask you to please pray for a good friend of our family Mr. Steve Deichert. He had to have unexpected brain surgery yesterday. He is very critical right now. Mr. Steve is a great man and we got to work with him at Sandy Cove. Also if you could pray for Pastor Bill Raws as he is hanging on to life. My Dad could use your prayers as this has been difficult for him to watch Pastor Bill. After going through all of the things we went through with Lindsay he is going through it again.
Lindsay, We miss you so much and we love you more than you know. You will always be our Lindsay Bear and we will never ever forget you!
14 comments:
Good Morning,
Thank you Laura for sharing with us again. You share God's love nnd your ongoing (forever) love for Lindsay with so much spiritual strength. No one could ever doubt that it is GOD who is taking you through day by day. May you and Jon continue to lean on Him every day and be a wonderful testimony of HIS love.
Thanks for posting the prayer reminders. Pray for your Dad & family every day.
God bless you.
Love, hugs & prayers,
Miriam
Hi, Jon, Laura, and Tanner:
I have a little devotional book that has a short little reading for each day of the year. In looking through the book this morning, I came across this:
Behind the clouds, My glorious light. Behind the doubts, My sure promises. Behind the fears, My blessed hope.
Trusting the Lord will brighten your day with many precious memories of Lindsay. Praying He will give grace and strength for every minute of the day.
With love and prayers,
Susan
Laura,
I love reading your posts. Thank you for all you've shared. I cannot believe that it's two months already. It seems so long ago...yet just yesterday. (if that makes sense).
The Lord has used your family and your little Lindsay in such a mighty way in so many lives, including mine. I have been so blessed to have been able to walk this journey with you...and...to continue to. Hold tight to all those wonderful reminders you received today. Tuck them away and lean on them as you need them.
I will continue to pray for your Dad and for Pastor Bill. I know how hard this is for everyone. But, with God's grace and comfort everyone will stand strong!
Take good care of yourself. Lord bless you, Jon and Tanner today!
Love,
Lisa Sheldon
I can't believe it has been two months already. We think of Lindsay everyday and pray for all of you everyday.
Even though our hearts are still broken and we still grieve we know that Lindsay is perfect in every way and she will always be our Lindsay Bear.
Love you all very much,
Aunt Jeanne
Two months...that's a long time, one day they'll be a hello again with no goodbyes to follow.
Love to you,
Dina
Throughout the day you have all been in my prayers as you walked through another reminder of Lindsay being with Jesus.
This morning in our staff prayer time I heard several of our staff pray for all of you knowing that today would be hard. The cool thing was that I didn't even mention it! We are blessed with a great staff.
Today I saw Mr. "D" and he asked about you, Laura. So many people still call, write, or stop me to tell me how much they are praying for the three of you.
How I wish I could play "This Little Piggy" one more time with Lindsay ...
Love,
Dad Welte
Laura, Jon and Tanner,
We are continuing to pray for you everyday! We will also be sure to include Mr. Steve, Pastor Bill and your dad (who we already pray for everyday!). I am so thankful that we have a Living Hope in Jesus. What a gift to know that His promises can be trusted--even when our world seems to crumble around us. I love the poems you included in the blog, your family photo in the previous post and Lindsay's beautiful smile in today's picture. I wish I could enlarge the picture your dad posted the other day of Jesus' hands enveloping a peaceful little girl. That image gives me such comfort--He truly does have the itty, bitty babies in His hands--what comfort and freedom in that reminder!
I love you and thank you so, so much for your testimony.
Abbie Hackett
Your strength in sharing your story is amazing thank you so very much . . .
Hi Jon, Laura and Tanner:
Thank you for sharing your beautiful Lindsay with us. The pictures of Lindsay are so amazing and so full of love. You can see her love for all of you through her sparkling eyes and awesome smiles and her adventurous spirit.
Thank you for sharing your heart with us, your faith in God is such a blessing to all of us as we read your testimony.
I pray for God's continued strength for all of you, he loves you so much.
Daryl Flohs
A Friend of Keswick
Hi Jon and Laura and Tanner,
I know this time in your life is difficult and sad. I prefer to view it differently than most. God gave you a tremendous gift, a precious gift, for a short time. He never promises us a lifetime with our children. It is a great loss to lose your child, but it is an even greater loss to have never had that child. Thankfully, people who struggle to have children and don't succeed never know the true depth of your loss. If they did, they could not bear the grief of what they missed. God is so gracious in that way. In your case, all the things you miss about Lindsay-you got to do. You just wish that you had more time and that you could experience all the things you never got to do. Sometimes I imagine my daughter Anna Rene as she would be today if she had lived. I imagine her as she would be each year and think about all the things she would be doing now. It gives me peace to think of her marking those same milestones in Heaven with Jesus and my grandparents. Almost 20 years of infertility and countless treatments and in spite of all the pain and heartache, I would still do it again even for a brief time with my child. It is tough, but you can and you will make it one day at a time. God can heal anything even this-I promise. I am thankful every day for the 2 healthy boys that God did entrust me with. Sure, I wish I had more kids but I trust God and his plan for my life and I don't ask why anymore. I wish I could tell you that it is because I have such a strong faith, but mainly it is because it serves no useful purpose. In time, as you look back in your life, you can sometimes see God's purpose at work. Sometimes you can't find a reason and that is frustrating for me. I prefer to believe there is a reason for everything and the purpose may be hidden or may be beyond my lifetime. I can't change the circumstances, so I have a choice-accept or fight the circumstances I find myself in. As I've gotten older, I find acceptance easier and more comforting for me, but I think each of us has to find our own path through difficult circumstances. How can we ever become like Christ without his suffering? Each of us in time will take up our own crosses as part of the sanctification process. Our God is full of love and grace for us and this life is very short, like a flower's bloom or a blade of grass and so will be our suffering. Keep the faith and just get up every day and love your family and look to God for strength and comfort just like you are doing. You are doing just fine and I'm sure that God is very proud of all of you!
God Bless,
Lisa Pampreen
Thank you for continuing to share your heart with us! It is so evident that your strength comes from the Lord! God Bless you all!
Wow what a smile. Happy girl comes to mind. Thank you again fo r the picture. Each and every day I think of you all and pray that God is giving you peace. May God keep you all in His grip as you dad would put it (the general) The children are praying for MR. Welte (the general, and The Keswick extended family during this time with Pastor Bill, too.
Laura wow what a women God is refining you to become, you have been an inspiration to me in more ways than you could imagine.
Sharon Mumma( Noah and Faith's mom)
Dear Laura & Jon ...
Words escape me, but please know that my heart is with you.
The quiet, gentle prompting of the Lord led me to the book of Psalms this morning ...
"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.: Ps. 17-18
"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Ps. 147:3
" ... The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made." Ps. 145:13
Rest in his promises,
Carole Woods
Dear ones:
I still think of Lindsay Bear with love and appreciation for a little girl that I never met but felt very close to. It changed my life. Praying for peace and comfort for all of you. A Freedom Fighter Friend, Joann
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