Into His Loving Arms

There is no easy way to write this.

On March 1st, in the early morning hours, our sweet Evelyn Grace stopped breathing and went to be with Jesus. We don’t know why, and in fact will probably have to wait many more weeks before any official results are in, but we do know Who she went to. And we can confidently say ‘He is Good’.

She lived exactly 4 months, and was beautiful. She was tiny, but strong. We were just beginning to see her personality peek through – and although she was the littlest of three girls, her voice could not be drowned out! 

To say her passing was a surprise does not begin to describe it. Who prepares for the death of a healthy baby girl? We still wake up surprised to find ourselves a family of four instead of five.
And yet through it all, we’ve never felt the Lord’s peace like we do now. We rest in the certainty that He knew the number of her days. We rest in the fact that she was never actually ours to begin with. We rest in the fact that this is all a part of His perfect plan. Not an accident or mistake, but for our good. (And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28). And we rest in the peace that we will see her again soon. ‘We will go to her, but she will not return to us.’ (paraphrased, 2 Sam 12:23)

We’ve felt such love and comfort from our family and friends these past weeks! Our families flew in, and our church family surrounded us. Sometimes literally! Loving us, feeding us, listening to us, praying for us and just being there have been huge. THANK YOU is not strong enough to adequately express how thankful we are.

Many have asked about Evelyn’s Memorial Service. We thought it was a beautiful remembrance of our daughter. We wanted to bring God glory – even in this. Even though we don’t know what we’re doing. The scriptures that were shared have been a source of comfort, joy, and hope to us. If you would also like to listen, Matt has put a copy of the audio here for you:


(Used by permission, Pastor Doug Echols, Bethel Baptist Church)
 
Our friend, Jeff Carney, read Matt’s letter aloud during her service on his behalf. Matt wrote this over the course of several days, as he was processing our loss, God’s promises to us, and how great is God’s love.

A letter from Evelyn’s Father and Family:
 
It's so wonderful to see how many people love our sweet Evelyn; most of whom have never even met her. I stand in awe of how infinitely more our Lord God’s love is for her. I find it equally awesome to believe that because Christ has conquered death for all of us, I have hope that Evy too is alive with Him this day.
 
I had the great privilege to serve as her earthly father for but a brief time. And for that I have only God to thank. He revealed to me only a glimpse of the delight in her that He must feel. I am humbled that He thought so highly of me, a sinner, to love and to be loved by Evy. This was the second greatest gift I could receive. First He gave me His son, then He gave me His daughter, Evelyn Grace. All I can give Him in return is my life.
 
Despite my outward sadness, I'm overjoyed to know that her absence here only means that Evy is present with the Lord. I lament that I'm now her father in name only, but rejoice in my new role as her spiritual brother only because of the immeasurable grace of God, our father. I will still miss her deeply until the Lord sees fit to reunite us, as will all those here who love her.
 
Finally, I’m jubilant to think that Evy now has a father who will never again leave her side, or fail her in any way. We should all be so blessed to have fathers who instruct us with perfect patience, understanding, and discipline. The same abundant life that Evy is experiencing with her new Father this day; I pray that everyone here receives too. God's free gift of love is to be embraced, not rejected.
 
Praise be to God!

 
My father graciously did her graveside service for us. It was bitter cold and windy, and it felt like one of the worst days we’ve had all winter. But the rain held back while we gathered together, an answer to prayer. Our closest family and friends surrounded us, as we put our daughter in the ground. It was tiny and beautiful, just like Evelyn.

Finally, it has always been a dream of ours that when our children are old enough, they would each get the opportunity to sponsor a child about their own age through Compassion International. Helping another child be released from poverty. Through the help of our sweet friend, we’ve been able to set up a site where the memory of Evelyn can be shared with others. All the money donated goes to Compassion, while the comments are ours to cherish. Evelyn just got a jump on helping other children before her sisters!

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/evelyngrace/memorial

Your letters and comments, thoughts and prayers have meant so much to us! We collect and treasure them! If you would like, please feel free to share anything you would like here as well.