
Dedication
From:
Rebecca
Hampton
When
you hear
your phone
ring at 4:45
in the
morning, it
makes you
feel a chill
right down
to the bone.
Whenever I
get bad news
I always
stop, get
quite, and
say “Father,
I need a
word from
you.” I
waited
quietly for
an answer. I
heard my
Father speak
in a still
small voice
that only
his children
recognize.
“The Lord
gives and
the Lord
takes away,
blessed be
the name of
the Lord.” I
quietly
shook my
head knowing
what he
meant.
My Grandson
would be
going home
soon. I
started
thinking
about his
funeral as I
made the 2
hour drive
to St.
Mary’s
Hospital in
Athens. Even
though we
know God
knows best,
everything
he does is
for our
best, we
trust him
with our
life and
with our
family, but
it’s hard at
times like
this.
I knew what
God had said
but I just
couldn’t let
go. Maybe
God would
change his
mind if
enough
people
prayed or
maybe God
wanted us to
take care of
him and we
would have,
even though
I knew
Brandon
would not
want to live
with 24 hour
care.
My
spirit
spent the
week in
silence, no
music, no
singing,
nothing but
quietness
waiting on
God to give
another
word. As
friends
bombarded
the
throne of
grace for my
precious
grandson. At
last I said,
“Not my
will, but
thy will be
done.”
As I stood
by his
bedside on
Wednesday,
the day
before he
went home,
it was clear
to me God
would take
him home. I
watched his
heart rate
go down into
the thirties
and the
pressure in
his head go
up into the
fifties. He
hung on
until the
next
morning. As
his mother
held him in
her arms, I
watched the
machine
until his
heart rate
went to
zero. What a
privilege to
be at the
bedside of
one you love
so much as
he goes home
to be with
the Father.
No more
pain, only
joy and
peace. And
we’re left
with that
blessed hope
that we’ll
see him
again one
day.
You see this
day was a
very special
day. On
September
18, 1983,
while I
stood by
Tracy’s side
God laid our
little
bundle of
joy in her
arms, twenty
five years
later on
that same
day she laid
him back in
his Father’s
arms and
allowed me
the
privilege of
beholding
all that he
has done.
Yes, the
Lord gives
and the Lord
takes away,
Blessed be
the name of
the LORD!
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