Flowers From Friends

(Originally Posted September 21, 2009)

Last night my husband taught a great message. His series title for this chapter is First Aid: Proven Remedies from Philippians 4. It was pretty amazing as he used God's Word to lay out some practical "Remedies for Spiritual Instability." To be more specific, he talked about maintaining unity, maintaining satisfaction, and maintaining thoughtfulness.... And because I am the blessed one who get's to be his wife I typically get to hear a sneak peak of the message. So, as we took our Sunday morning stroll he talked through the verses that he would be teaching on later that evening and I was especially challenged by Verse 5: "Let your gentleness be known to all men." Aaron talked to me, and everyone at Aletheia last night, about how the greek word for gentleness or gentle spirit - [epieikes] means humble graciousness, sweet reasonableness, generosity, goodwill, friendliness, mercy, leniency. Paul was saying to those in Philippi, just to be sweet, be humble, be generous... We should all consistently be striving to put others above ourselves... to look out for others needs before our own... to see a need and meet it.Last week was the 10 month anniversary since we lost Aaden. These past 10 months have been the hardest of mine and Aaron's life... and I know that the next few will be equally hard. Yet, as I have mentioned before and will continue to mention God has surrounded Aaron and me with Godly people who consistently view others' needs before they view their own... they live selfless lives... always looking for a need to meet.Last Tuesday, September 15 I received phone calls and emails with sweet messages reminding we had not been forgotten and that prayers were being lifted up on our behalf... I was given a sweet gift by an amazing friend who has made it a point to do that very thing on the 15th of every month since Aaden died... she strives to brighten that day for me... and she succeeds. And I got a sweet surprise when flowers were delivered to the door later that afternoon from two people who Aaron and I love so much... they wrote in the note very simply and beautifully "... because we know that each month is just as hard as the next. Just reminding you that you're thought of, loved, and prayed for daily."Over the past few weeks I have been trying to figure out exactly how to honor Aaden's birthday... which have resulted in some very difficult google searches... (I know... "I googled..."). I came across a forum where families posted how they handled holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. after losing a child. I was overcome with grief for a woman who posted that she was never able to honor her lost child's birthday or even recognize the day that her child died. Her family made no mention of the child, never even saying his name. She received one card on the first anniversary of his death but the following years, nothing.I know it can be difficult to be around people who are hurting, to acknowledge their pain... to ask how they are doing, afraid to awaken sleeping sorrow... but I ask you to forget the potential awkwardness... and instead "let your gentleness be known to all men."I am so thankful for the friends and family that surround Aaron and me. We are truly blessed... not because we get flowers delivered to our door, but because we have people in our lives who put the needs of others' before their own. God has taught me so much, through His Word and through many of you, what it means to have true compassion, true grace... love true for another. A challenge for you: when you see someone hurting reach out to them... genuinely pray for them, don't just say you will in passing and then forget... put others' needs above your own...:::The lyrics from this song say it well.SolutionHillsong UnitedOpen up our eyes, so blindThat we might findThe Mercy for the need... Fill our hearts with Your compassionIt is not too far a cryTo much to tryTo help the least of these...We will be Your hands and be Your feet.Only You can mend the broken heart And cause the blind to seeErase complete the sinners past And set the captives freeOnly You can take the widows cry And cause her heart to singBe a Father to the fatherless Our Savior and our KingWe will be Your hands, we will be Your feetWe will run this raceIn the darkest place, we will be Your light... We will be Your light