The Christmas after Tracy died, the verse that resonated most with me was Luke 2:35 a sword shall pierce through your own soul also. You are having a bad year when that is the verse that reflects your life. This year the Christmas verse that most applies is Isaiah 9:6 unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Our fourth grandchild, and first grandson, was born yesterday morning. Will and Emily chose to wait until delivery for the gender reveal, so they needed to choose names for either sex, just like we did in the olden days. I did not learn until they announced his arrival, that the name they had chosen for a son was Lee Trace Lamb.
They did not know, no one did, that my private prayer to the Lord for the past few months was the hope they might use some form of Tracy's name for their baby. I did not tell them because I would not put that kind of pressure on, what needs to be, their personal choice, not coerced by the wishes of a grieving mother. And I did not tell anyone else because I did not want them searching me for real or imagined signs of disappointment. I do not believe I would have been disappointed with another name. It would be hard to be disappointed about the birth of a grandchild, unless they named him Hitler. But I also knew that I would cry if they did use Tracy's name, and I did.
When the Lord gives us children to steward through life, we know that someday He may ask us to give them back. To a career, marriage or ministry that takes them far away from home. To a tragedy that takes them home to heaven before us. God gave His only Son--to leave His home in heaven, to live on earth perfectly, to suffer painfully, to rise victoriously, so that those who believe in Him may enter His home in heaven freely. Our youngest son has made his home there for close to three years. And now into our family a new child has been born. Not the unique one in the Isaiah reference, but still a wonderful gift to help heal a painful loss. This Christmas we, too, can say unto us a son is given.
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