Over the past days and weeks, thousands upon thousands of believers have marched on Heaven, an army of prayer warriors storming the gates on behalf of the Stone family. We have kept vigil, beseeching our omnipotent God that he would spare the life of Kaden Isaiah Stone.
Lord, life!
God in Heaven, peace!
Sweet Jesus, mercy!
Yesterday afternoon, our dear friends Diana and Sam watched as their son slipped away from this world, and into the World to Come.
And there we all stood. Heartbroken. Confused.
But Lord! Didn’t you see our army of prayer warriors? Didn’t you hear our pleas for mercy?
I wish there was something I could say to make it all make sense. I wish there was some combination of words that could mend my friend’s broken heart.
Mend mine.
Mend yours.
But you know it and I know it. There are some things we will never understand this side of Heaven.
Following his wife’s untimely death, C. S. Lewis wrote a book titled A Grief Observed. In it, he likens God to a Great Surgeon. And, just as a medical surgeon must first apply a scalpel to open up and ultimately save his patient from disease and certain death, so, at times, our God will exact a severe mercy on us.
It’s so hard to understand.
“Severe” feels like such an understatement.
I have felt the sharpness of that scalpel in my own life and I know so many of you have as well.
We want mercy to mean life. We mistake death for punishment. We want mercy to mean good news. But sometimes, in His wisdom, God’s mercy means something entirely different. And our omnipotent God – our Great Surgeon – will not leave us bare and open on the table. He will see us through – see His Work through.
He will sew us up.
He will nurse our wounds.
And He will make us new.
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Death is a thief. We feel so very, very robbed.
Our God is life – abundant life. Our God is not finished.
Today and for so many days to come, we pray for the Stone family – for the process of mending – for our own hearts, and for each one of you as you process this loss and any other grief that this poor, fallen world has brought. With each hurt, each disappointment, and each mind-swirling loss, we are weaned further and further from this world, and The Father is wooing us closer and closer to the World to Come.
So beautifully written…thank you, this is exactly what I needed to read. **hugs**
Thanks Raechel. We have been praying here in MI too. We just lost our 3rd baby this week. Although it is not the same as what the Stone family is going through, I appreciate your words for us as well.
Beautiful. I am deeply touched by your faith and your strength and encouraging words in this time of sorrow. Praying for the Stones and for the Myers. Love you!
What good news in the midst of devastation—that God is not finished. He will yet bring life out of death. This is beautiful, Raechel.
Oh my- sending loving thoughts to the Stone family. I’ve been watching Diana’s blog for updates and to see this update here brought tears to my eyes.
That last sentence. Wooing us closer to Him and the world to come. So true. Praying for them and everyone Kaden’s life touched.
Beautifully written and helps me to make sense of all of this a bit more. My heart is broken for their family and the loss they are experiencing.
Thank you for sharing. This has helped me to sit and (“process” isn’t the right word) but be “still” in Kadens entrance into Heaven and pray for the brokenhearted weight the Stone family is left to bare… Not alone.. but there is a time to mourn. And I think we all sense that right now….
Raechel-
I’ve been really wrestling with the Lord over this for the past few days, and especially last night. He has been faithful and merciful as I’ve questioned. Patient. He has been quietly whispering to me that same truth: “With each hurt, each disappointment, and each mind-swirling loss, we are weaned further and further from this world, and The Father is wooing us closer and closer to the World to Come.”
He is good. Was and always will be.
Thank you for sharing.
love it. so glad (and yet NOT) that she has you to walk alongside her in this most brutal of mama moments. it seems like so many things fall short in these instances and the pain will be immense for our entire lifetimes, but i am so comforted by the promise that it ISNT forever. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4. i love that he doesnt say no to cry or be pained, but that he WILL restore and take away and redeem these unfathomable losses. praying for her and for her support system. love you.
I agree with every word you wrote. This is an all too familiar pain as you said with heartbreak and confusion. I had never heard the term “Severe Mercy” before but I understand it perfectly it couldn’t be more accurate. I join you and the Stones in their mourning as someone who not only sympathizes but understands what they are going through. I send my love to them, their family and friends.
I well know the feeling of being broken and confused. I am so sorry that those prayers were not granted. Many people prayed for our son to be healed, too, and he was not. I will never understand. Thank you for speaking of things like this.
Just want to note that C.S. Lewis did not write A Severe Mercy. Sheldon Vanauken, a friend of Lewis’, wrote a book by that title about his experience after the death of his own wife. Lewis’ book is actually called A Grief Observed. Wanted to mention that in case people are looking for the book.
Sarah – you’re so right! I think I’ve read them both and got the authors confused! I’ll correct that, so glad you caught it!
Good words. So you know, A Severe Mercy was written by Sheldon Vanauken, not C.S. Lewis. An excellent read for both those in love and in grief.
“And there we all stood. Heartbroken. Confused.
But Lord! Didn’t you see our army of prayer warriors? Didn’t you hear our pleas for mercy?”
You hit the nail on the head with your post.
I can’t imagine losing 3 precious babies, one was hard enough. I will never understand why my little love left so soon. I lean on Habukkuk 2:3 in the hard moments and cling to the knowledge that my Father is GOOD.
Beautifully said. Thank you!
Absolutely beautiful!!
Thank you for these beautiful words, Raechel. They brought me a lot of peace as we are just waiting for God and my mom to decide that the time is right that she’ll enter her new life of eternity. I wanted so badly for Kaden to be healed & to grow up healthy and happy with Diana and family. I wish so badly that my mom could have been spared such a heavy burden of pain & suffering these last 3+ years. Neither prayer was answered in this life but I am certain that those prayers for health & restoration are set to be answered abundantly in Kaden’s & Mom’s new life. I shared some of what you wrote with my dad & my mom’s sister in the hopes that they will feel peace from it as I did. Hope that’s okay. I hope to be back with SRT soon.
Oh, Lauren. I’m so sorry for your grief. Praying for peace for you and your family.