This morning...

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;and there shall be no more death,

neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."

Revelation 21:4

Too many thoughts.  Yesterday morning I asked God for something to help me get through these days.  I automatically turned to Psalms, but I was thinking more of Cayla than myself.  Then the phrases, no tears...no crying, came to mind.  I knew it was in the end of Revelation where God is describing heaven.  So to the end of the Bible I went.  When I found this verse, I was overcome with joy for my precious baby girl.  All those many, many tears have all been wiped away for good.  She won't have to cry anymore as she is stuck, cut, poked, prodded, or hurting.  I'm crying tears of joy again as I type this.  Do you see that verse??  Our precious Cayla Joy not only has no more tears, but they've been wiped away by God Himself!  How amazing is that thought?!  She will never have to face death again.  Never have to have any more sorrow.  She will never have to cry another tear again.  She shed so many tears that this promise just ironically makes me shed great tears of joy thinking about it.  Never will she be in pain again.  Can you imagine what that means to us after all the pain we've watched her go through in such a short a little life?  I am so happy for our precious Cayla Joy this morning because this verse is a beautiful promise from God, and if He's promised this, then it is true or He's not God. 

I tried to lay in bed and think about what we're going to have to do today.  We are going to have to bury our precious baby girl.  No tears would come like I expected them to... yet.  I know there will be plenty of tears to last a lifetime today, but this morning is peace.  Just His perfect peace.  It is beyond understanding and I know that we will all be ok today as we go through this.  God is in control of today.  I'm good with that.  I certainly don't want to be in control.  I'm being completely honest when I say that I'm looking at today with the desire for it to be over and not really have to even go through it, but also with the desire to see what God's going to do through lives today.  He is going to carry us.  He is going to be glorified through Cayla Joy's little life.  He is loving her more than we ever could.  He is loving us more than we will ever realize.  He is working behind the scene to accomplish His will in ways that we will never even know.  I am ready to go start my day knowing all this.  Knowing I'm not alone.  Knowing it's not all the people supporting us that is going to get us through, but God's support.  There will be so much encouragement from so many people that God is going to use and already has, but He will be holding my hand as I sing the song He gave me.  He will be holding us up as we stand before our baby and give her back to Him.  He will be everything today.  So, I am now able to say because of my Lord Jesus Christ, I'm ready for this day.

I want to close this with the words to the song, "A Storm Now and Then" that I'll sing for Cayla and my Lord today at her service.  I know I will be able to sing this, because God has completely laid it on my heart to do so today.  Please keep praying for all the family and friends today and that this memorial service for our precious Cayla Joy will bring honor to Jesus Christ and that any that have never given their lives to finally trusting Jesus would see how wonderful He is and trust Him completely with their lives today.  To God be the glory!

All my dreams were shattered, and all that mattered was gone, on the winds of sorrow.

Everything I had planned swept out of my hand, and I saw no hope for tomorrow.

With my heart near to breaking, I cried, "Lord, I can't make it by myself.  I just can't carry on."

Then with the storm at it darkest, came the words, "I'll never leave you.

You are loved, let My strength be your own."

It takes a storm now and then to remind us to depend.

To depend upon the Lord and to rest in His Word.

For in the wind and the rain, I've learned to call upon His name.

And I thank Him in my song, He sent the storm to make me strong.

When my feet are stumbling, my hopes are crumbling, the Lord is there abiding.

He is peace. He is calm in the midst of the storm.  The Lord is there abiding.

He is grace, He is power.  He is strength for each hour.  He is comfort and safety from all harm.

There is joy in my soul, for the Lord has control, and beneath are the everlasting arms.



It takes a storm now and then to remind us to depend.

To depend upon the Lord and to rest in His Word.

For in the wind and the rain, I've learned to call upon His name.

And I thank Him in my song, He sent the storm to make me strong.