A Life Well-Lived, Part 8; Let the Little Children Come

Much-loved and well-worn toys began to pile up in the corner of my room; gifts from the big kids to their baby brother. This would be the first baby in our home in 6 years! The 5 older children each picked a different name for the baby and addressed my belly by their name of choice. Then they rubbed it in to make it “stick.” Eleven-year-old Timothy excitedly shared, “Every now and then, I think I dreamed we were going to have a baby, but then I remember: it’s real! We really are going to have a baby!”

But at five and a half months gestation, for no apparent reason, the baby went home to Jesus. We had a funeral service for 1.5 pound Baby Jeremiah because he was dearly loved and important to us. A few days later, Timothy came to me with a troubled look and said, “Mom, we were so sad that our baby died, but there are babies the same size as ours who are aborted, and no one is sad for them.” He made the connection on his own. He knew that a baby, no matter how small, is still a brother. A person. A friend. Still precious and much loved by God.

Years later, when Timothy was working but still living at home, he made a habit of tossing me his donation cash and letting me post it to a ministry (because he knew I enjoyed giving!). One of our projects was to help with the purchase of ultrasound equipment for Pregnancy Centers. We had read that a percentage of abortion-minded women reconsidered their plan when they saw their baby on ultrasound. To Timothy, it was worth a shot.

He kept a soft spot in his heart for babies, and was always looking forward to having his own. Being the silly guy that he was, Timothy would often tease about his plans to have 26 kids and name them by the letters of the alphabet. Or maybe have a dozen and name them plant-food names (Rhubarb, Asparagus [“Gus” for short]). Or names of cars, or presidents, etc. I would always remind him that his wife would probably have something to say about that! He even convinced me to write “Sweet Potato” and “Banana Chip” on the list of potential names for Jubilee. The doctor was dumbstruck as he read the list of names on the bedside table at the hospital when Jubilee was born!

Just a few months before he went to live with the Lord, Timothy told me that a friend was planning some sort of abortion prayer ministry, and I needed to contact her and get involved! I did exactly that, but plans are still up in the air, for various reasons. Timothy wanted everyone to be plugged in to their passion, including his mom!

Another friend shared with me a month or so ago, that she had had a dream about Timothy, even though she had never met him. In her dream, she saw him in Heaven, surrounded by little children, and he was very, very happy. I have no doubt that he is.

“Children are a gift from the Lord, and babies are His reward. Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows to defend him.” Psalm 127:3-4 “Save those who are being led to their death; rescue those who are about to be killed.”

Proverbs 24:11