HOPE
BEYOND THIS LIFE
Recently,
I read an inspirational story about a loving mother’s tragic loss of her young
son. While it might not be totally
accurate, theologically speaking, it is a true portrait of Christ’s profound
love for us and the eternal joy that resides on the other side of our earthly
existence. Read it for yourself, and be
encouraged to know that there is eternal hope beyond the grave.
The
anxious mother jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the
operating room. She said: “How is Jimmy?
Is my little boy going to be all right? When can I see him?”
The
surgeon frowned and said, “I’m sorry. We
did all we could, but Jimmy didn’t make it.”
Realizing her greatest fear had come true, Sally shouted, “Why do little children get cancer? Doesn’t God care? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?”
The surgeon asked softly, “Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before we transport him to the university.”
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick curly hair. “Would you like a lock of his hair?” the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of Jimmy’s hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
The mother said, “It was Jimmy’s idea to donate his body to the university for medical study. He said it might help somebody else. I said no at first, but Jimmy said, Mom, I won’t be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy to spend one more day with his Mom.” She went on, “My Jimmy had a heart of gold. He was always thinking of someone else…always wanting to help others if he could.”
Sally walked out of Children’s Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy’s belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy’s belongings and the plastic bag with the lock of hair to her son’s room. She started placing the model cars and other things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. Then she laid across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
Around midnight, Sally woke up. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter, which read:
Dear Mom,
I know you’re going to miss me, but don’t think I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just because I’m not around to say ‘I Love You.’ I will always love you, Mom and someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won’t be so lonely, that’s okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn’t like the same things us boys do so you’ll have to buy her some dolls and girl stuff.
Don’t be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And you know what? Jesus doesn’t look anything like his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew who He was right away. I got to sit on His knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody very important. That’s when I told Him I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and everything. But I already knew that wouldn’t be allowed here. Well, you know what Mom? Jesus handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. Jesus said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked: “Where was God when my son needed him?” Jesus said He was in the same place with me as He was the day He died on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all of His children.
Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I’ve written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn’t that cool? I have to give Jesus His pen back now because He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I’m sure the food will be great.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don’t hurt anymore because my cancer is all gone! I’m glad because I couldn’t stand that pain anymore and Jesus said He couldn’t stand to see me hurt so much, either. That’s when He sent the Angel of Mercy to come and get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?
-Signed with love from Jesus and Jimmy
Realizing her greatest fear had come true, Sally shouted, “Why do little children get cancer? Doesn’t God care? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?”
The surgeon asked softly, “Would you like some time alone with your son? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before we transport him to the university.”
Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said goodbye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick curly hair. “Would you like a lock of his hair?” the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of Jimmy’s hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.
The mother said, “It was Jimmy’s idea to donate his body to the university for medical study. He said it might help somebody else. I said no at first, but Jimmy said, Mom, I won’t be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy to spend one more day with his Mom.” She went on, “My Jimmy had a heart of gold. He was always thinking of someone else…always wanting to help others if he could.”
Sally walked out of Children’s Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy’s belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy’s belongings and the plastic bag with the lock of hair to her son’s room. She started placing the model cars and other things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. Then she laid across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.
Around midnight, Sally woke up. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter, which read:
Dear Mom,
I know you’re going to miss me, but don’t think I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just because I’m not around to say ‘I Love You.’ I will always love you, Mom and someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won’t be so lonely, that’s okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn’t like the same things us boys do so you’ll have to buy her some dolls and girl stuff.
Don’t be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And you know what? Jesus doesn’t look anything like his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew who He was right away. I got to sit on His knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody very important. That’s when I told Him I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you goodbye and everything. But I already knew that wouldn’t be allowed here. Well, you know what Mom? Jesus handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. Jesus said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked: “Where was God when my son needed him?” Jesus said He was in the same place with me as He was the day He died on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all of His children.
Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I’ve written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn’t that cool? I have to give Jesus His pen back now because He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I’m sure the food will be great.
Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don’t hurt anymore because my cancer is all gone! I’m glad because I couldn’t stand that pain anymore and Jesus said He couldn’t stand to see me hurt so much, either. That’s when He sent the Angel of Mercy to come and get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery! How about that?
-Signed with love from Jesus and Jimmy
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