Tuesday, May 17, 2011

when hearts are sad...

One moment we received good news...
and were rejoicing with our granddaughter.

And with the next message...
came extreme sadness...
as our hearts went out to our friends.


Their son passed away on Sunday afternoon...
after hanging on to life by a thread for the past few months.

We met our friends when their two boys were teens...
and in those years there were happy times...
and lots of laughter.

Then the boys began making bad choices...
one after the other.
The parents watched helplessly from the sidelines.

The eldest son suffered a massive stroke...
brought on by his lifestyle.
He was not expected to live...
but recovered to the extent that he now lives independently...
though he is not able to talk.
He is a totally different person now...
happy and loving...
and willing to help others.
He volunteers where he can at church...
and loves to play video games with my son-in-law.
He adores Maggie.
His joy is contagious!

The younger brother continued in his old lifestyle...
not learning from his brother's experience.
Eight years to the day after the eldest son had a stroke...
the younger brother suffered the same fate.

How hard for the parents to go through this once more!
They wondered if they could handle this...
how they would face each new day.
They had one prayer...
that their son make things right with God while he still had a chance.
We pray that he did!



Our hearts go out to our friends.
May they find comfort in the good memories...
and strength for each day!

Death leaves a heartache only God can heal, 
love leaves a memory no one can steal.  

19 comments:

  1. I'm very sorry for your friends and your loss. The loss of a child at any age is almost unbearable. Hopefully they will find strength in their faith during this difficult time. Please accept my deepest condolences.

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  2. Very sad for your friends. May God give them comfort as they deal with their loss...

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  3. Very sad... Some people are so terribly broken that only Heaven can heal them. Praying for your friends to be surrounded with the comfort that comes from the Lord and goes beyond human understanding. Love to you and the community who will be lifting them up...

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  4. One of the hardest experiences in parenting is learning to let go and leave our children up to the Lord. I pray your friends will have comfort from their faith, and encouragement from family and friends in this sorrow. Thank you for your beautiful post.

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  5. What a terrible time for your friends, Judy. They will need the support and prayers of their friends more than ever. There is no understanding why children raised in love and faith should go the way these brothers went - it could have happened to any of us, but for the grace of God.

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  6. So sad..such a loss. May they experience God's peace during this very difficult time.

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  7. May God walk with your friends through this heartbreaking time. You have written with such compassion and love - it will surely provide some comfort as you walk alongside them.

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  8. Judy, my heart is so sad for your friends and their suffering and loss. Your post is beautifully written with obvious care and concern. I hope too that he made things right with God before he passed.

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  9. My prayers are with you as you support your friends in their grief. Sounds like you have been there for them for a while now. They need caring friends like you. No one can even begin to understand what they have walked through and continue to live each day. Incredibly painful to see your sons go through their pain, suffering and broken choices and now lose one. This is uncondtional love. They will receive an extra jewel in their crown in heaven:)

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  10. I join you in prayer - this moment- for the grieving parents.
    "Father, I pray the Holy Spirit will comfort the hearts of these parents and grant them a peace that passes understanding...."

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  11. I am so sorry. I trust your friendship,words and flowers bring comfort. Those bleeding hearts are so fitting. I am praying for your friends right now.
    Martha

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  12. Bleeding hearts... so appropriate.
    I cannot even imagine. I pray God's comfort and peace gives them strength and hope to carry on.

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  13. Wishing them strength... and you as you support them.

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  14. I find comfort in believing that there is still an opportunity when such broken souls meet God.

    I will hold your friends close in my prayers.

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  15. How very sad for your friends and all that know them! To see a precious child make bad decisions and suffer this fate x2 must be such a hard burden to bear, and now to lose one is a tragedy. I am sure that our Lord is loving and forgiving and that their son is finally at peace. I;m saying prayers for all.

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  16. Oh Judy, my heart feels a huge ache for your dear friends. How can it be that they have to face this twice in their life time. I am so sorry for you all. I pray that in some way, God will give you the words to say and the best way to hurt with them during this extremely painful time. Your pictures are beautiful and your expressed your caring heart in such a loving way.

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  17. Oh Judy, so sad...my heart goes out to your friends. May God comfort them and give them hope for a brighter future.

    So glad they have you to lean on..

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  18. So sorry about the death of your friends' son. I am so grateful that they have you to stand with them, comfort them, and pray for them. I will pray as well.

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  19. What a heartbreaking post to read. I pray for comfort for your friends, and peace.

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson